ScottishPower Renewables (SPR), a major shareholder in Hammerfest Strøm, has submitted a planning application to install ten HS1000 machines at a tidal-power array in the Sound of Islay on the west coast of Scotland. Additionally, SPR is developing a 95-turbine project in the Pentland Firth as part of The Crown Estate’s first marine energy leasing round. The company also confirmed that it will be entering the Ness of Duncansbay project into the Scottish Government’s £10 million Saltire Prize for marine energy innovation.

Keith Anderson, Director of ScottishPower says the utility is committed to leading the development of new renewable energy technologies in the UK. “We already have major projects planned utilising wave and tidal power. Following the deployment of the initial HS1000 machine in Orkney, SPR is planning to install ten of the machines in the Sound of Islay, which will be the first tidal power array of its kind in the world. Following on from this, we are also planning to install up to 95 tidal turbines.”

Anderson says SPR is pleased Hammerfest Strøm will be constructing the first HS1000 turbine in Scotland.  “We know that the company looked internationally to find the right levels of expertise to deliver this contract, so it is a major boost to Scotland’s renewable energy industry and to the wider economy to see this new technology going in to construction in Stornoway. With our projects in Islay and the Pentland Firth also being developed, we hope that the announcement today is just the beginning of what could be a major stream of new opportunities for the renewables and manufacturing industries in Scotland.”

Scotland’s First Minister, Alex Salmond, notes that Scottish businesses will benefit from the project. “With unrivalled energy resources off our coast and a range of wave, tidal and offshore wind development already underway, Scotland leads the way in generating power offshore. We have an estimated 25 percent of Europe’s offshore wind and tidal resource and 10 percent of its wave potential, a renewable energy resource which is unrivalled in Europe.

Awarding £4 million of contracts to Scotland is a massive vote of confidence in the talent, expertise and infrastructure we have to support the development of a clean, green renewables future. This is another example of how the European Marine Energy Centre, our wave and tidal technical test centre in Orkney, is continuing to pay dividends through further overseas investment in Scotland.”

Norway-based Hammerfest Strøm was established in 1997 to develop tidal stream turbines and perform the installation of tidal power arrays. Hammerfest Strøm UK, the subsidiary established in Glasgow, Scotland, is responsible for developing the British and Irish energy markets. Hammerfest Strøm UK also has a joint venture with ScottishPower Renewables, which had over 800 MW of installed capacity at the end of 2009, and a pipeline of 5,115 MW.

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