West Islay Tidal Array seek Business Community Views

December 6, 2012

West Islay TidalFollowing the public consultation meetings held on Islay in September, the developers of the West Islay Tidal Array are now seeking views from the local business community on what they consider would be the effects upon their businesses.

DP Marine Energy Ltd and its partners DEME Blue Energy propose to build one of the world’s first commercial scale tidal energy parks in the waters approximately 8km off the tip of the Rhinns of Islay.

PBA Roger Tym, a firm of Economists and Planners, has been commissioned to undertake the Socio-Economic, Tourism and Recreation Assessment relating to the proposed development, and to assess the nature of the potential economic and business effects.

The firm would welcome the views of all parts of the business community on the beneficial effects in accommodating those employed or providing services during the construction, operation and decommissioning of the project or negative effects from any form of disturbance.  To that end, a business survey is available for completion on-line on the following link:

http://bit.ly/westislaytidal

Electronic and paper copies are available from the Islay Energy Trust (IET) which is helping to facilitate the assessment.  IET would like to encourage all kinds of businesses to take part in the survey and ensure that their views are included.

Further information on the survey and direct contact can be made with either the assessment team on euan.shearer@tymconsult.com or 0141-332-6464 or the Islay Energy Trust on lindy.maclellan@islayenergytrust.co.uk or 01496-301413.

The assessment team will also be contacting tourism accommodation providers direct by telephone during the week commencing 3rd December and they would be very grateful for any views or information that could be provided.  In addition, the team also hopes to have a number of face-to-face meetings with businesses in the coming weeks prior to Christmas.

Full details of the proposed project are available on-line at www.westislaytidal.com.

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Posted by Andy Macdonald

Community Support for Sound of Islay Tidal Project

November 15, 2010
Survey Graphs

Results of Questionnaire at Public Information Days (2009 - 24 people, 2010 - 27 people)

Surveys carried out at the Public Information Days on Islay and Jura and at the Islay Show demonstrated strong community support for the Sound of Islay Tidal Energy Project.

  • 27 out of 27 people that completed the questionnaires at the events on Islay and Jura said that they thought the Sound of Islay was a suitable place for a tidal array.
  • 48 out of 56 people at the Islay Show were either Supportive or Very Supportive of the project with the remaining 8 undecided.  Nobody said they were against or strongly against.

The Islay Energy Trust has submitted a letter to Marine Scotland to register its support for the project.  A copy of the letter can be seen by clicking on the following link:

Sound of Islay Tidal Energy – Letter of Support

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Posted by Andy Macdonald

Press Clippings

August 19, 2010

Hammerfest HS1000 Tidal TurbineThe recent announcements about the manufacture of the Hammerfest HS1000 Tidal Turbine by BiFab on Lewis has highlighted the importance of the Sound of Islay project as a stepping stone to large scale commercialisation of tidal energy.  Here are a few of the reports:

The Guardian – Tuesday 17th August 2010
Scottish firm BiFab wins £4m contract to build prototype tidal energy turbine in the Sound of Islay
BBC News Online – Tuesday 17th August 2010
£4m deal for new tidal turbines
Herald Scotland — Wednesday, 18 Aug 2010
Islay first island in world to be tidal powered
Scotsman – Wednesday 18th August 2010
£4m power deal ‘tip of iceberg’ for Scottish jobs

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Posted by Andy Macdonald

Tidal turbine to be built in Scotland

August 17, 2010

The Sound of Islay

There were a couple of significant announcements relating to the Sound of Islay tidal energy project today.

To put this in context, a quick summary of the background:

The Sound of Islay project is being developed by ScottishPower Renewables (SPR) with local support from the Islay Energy Trust.  The proposal is to put ten 1MW tidal turbines in the Sound of Islay, just south of Port Askaig.  The devices sit on the seabed and are fully submerged (they are about 30 metres to the blade tip and will be placed in 50 metres of water.)

SPR submitted an application at the end of July for consent to Marine Scotland (part of the Scottish Government.)  In parallel with this, preparations are underway to place a single 1MW turbine at the EMEC test site in Orkney.  If consent is given and the tests at EMEC go well then the ten devices for the Sound of Islay would be manufactured in 2012 and installed in 2013.

So back to today’s announcements:

Firstly, it was announced that BiFab (Burntisland Fabrications) will build the device to be deployed at the EMEC test site in Orkney in summer 2011 at their site in Arnish, Lewis.  This is the largest part of an order worth four million pounds and it is significant that a Scottish firm has proved capable of winning the contract and demonstrates that the marine renewables industry can make a significant contribution to the Scottish economy.

Secondly, Hammerfest Strom, the developer of the HS1000 tidal device, has completed a significant new round of funding that includes investment from Andritz Hydro.  This secures the funding for the Orkney development and provides additional technical experience to Hammerfest Strom.

Finally, SPR has announced it it entering its Pentland Firth site at the Ness of Duncansby into the £10 million Saltire Prize for marine energy innovation.  This shows its commitment to tidal technology and is a reminder of the next scale of development (95MW) that will follow the Sound of Islay installation.

Overall, this is excellent news and shows that the project is fast becoming a reality!

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Posted by Andy Macdonald

IET at the Islay Show

August 16, 2010
Islay Show 2010

Islay Show 2010

This year’s Islay Show was more popular than ever and the IET stand had a constant flow of people asking about the Carbon Savings Project, the Sound of Islay Tidal Energy Project and the ARC consortium.

Whilst the weather was excellent, it proved too windy for IET’s own marquee and we were very grateful to SNH‘s Islay team for generously sharing their more robust tent!

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Posted by Andy Macdonald

Jura and Islay Public Information Days

July 29, 2010
Islay Consultation

Public Information Day on Islay

Following the completion of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), ScottishPower Renewables have submitted an application for consent to Marine Scotland for the 10MW Tidal Project in the Sound of Islay.

Jura Consultation

Public Information Day on Jura

Public information days were held on Jura and Islay on the 28th and 29th July respectively.  There was a good attendance at both events and a lot of positive interest in the project.

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Posted by Andy Macdonald

Tidal Project Public Information Days

July 20, 2010

Public Information DaysScottishPower Renewables (SPR) will be holding public information days on Islay and Jura to update the local community on the progress of the project.

Staff from SPR will be available to answer any questions about this project or renewables in general.

Details of the events are as follows:

Jura Village Hall, Craighouse, Jura
Wednesday 28th July, 12noon until 4pm

Ionad Chaluim Chille Ìle, Bowmore, Islay
Thursday 29th July, 3pm until 7pm

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Posted by Andy Macdonald

Marine Scotland visit Islay

June 16, 2010
Mike Neilson, Phil Gilmour and David MacArthur

Phil Gilmour, Mike Neilson and David MacArthur

The Islay Energy Trust was delighted to host a visit to Islay by Mike Neilson and Phil Gilmour from Marine Scotland.  Mike is the director of Scotland’s marine management organisation.

Marine Scotland is part of the core Scottish Government and brings together the functions and resources of the previous Scottish Government Marine Directorate, the Fisheries Research Services (now Marine Scotland Science) and the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency (now Marine Scotland Compliance).

As such, Marine Scotland have an important role to play in the planning and licencing of offshore wind and marine renewables around Scotland.

The visit included discussions with Philip Maxwell (Islay Energy Trust),  Andrew Campbell from SNH and David MacArthur from the ScottishPower Renewables Sound of Islay Tidal Project.

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Posted by Andy Macdonald

Grid Connection for Tidal Project

June 3, 2010
33kV Overhead Lines

33kV Overhead Lines

The Sound of Islay Tidal Energy Project has taken another step forward with the signing of the grid connection agreement with SHEPD (Scottish Hydro Electric Power Distribution).  The agreement covers the investment in the grid infrastructure to provide the ScottishPower Renewables project with the 10MW capacity that it requires.

This is an important milestone as the relatively limited capacity of the electricity network from the mainland over Jura was seen as a potential restriction on renewable energy projects on Islay, Jura and Colonsay.   The proposal for ten 1MW tidal devices could generate more electricity than is used by the whole of Islay.

The Environmental Statement, which covers all aspects of the project, is nearly complete and will be sent to the Scottish Government in June.  This will be followed by a period of public consultation in July with events being planned on Islay and Jura.

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Posted by Andy Macdonald

Tidal Project on France3 Television

April 22, 2010
Avenue de l'Europe

Avenue de l'Europe

Andy Macdonald - Islay Energy Trust

Andy Macdonald - Islay Energy Trust

The Sound of Islay tidal project is becoming recognised as one of the leading tidal demonstration projects in the world.

Previous international media interest from Al Jazeera has recently been followed by a short programme on France 3′s European affairs programme Avenue de l’Europe.

The programme also looks at Bruichladdich Distillery‘s plans to build an anaerobic digester.

The programme is available on the internet at the following link:

http://info.francetelevisions.fr/

(then search for ‘avenue’ and the 17th April edition of the programme)

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Posted by Andy Macdonald

Wave and Tidal Leasing for Argyll

March 23, 2010

The Saltire Prize - The Scottish Government's £10million challenge for marine renewables

Scottish Energy Minister Jim Mather announced that Scotland’s £10 million Saltire Prize, a challenge to the world to accelerate the commercial development of marine energy, is now open for applications.

The Prize, the largest Government innovation prize in the world, will go to a commercially viable wave or tidal energy technology that generates at least 100 Gigawatts of electricity over two years using only the power of the sea – enough to power 10,000 homes.

Scottish Energy Minister Jim Mather also confirmed today that The Crown Estate, as owners of the seabed around the UK, will run a dedicated leasing round over this summer specifically aimed at Saltire Prize competitors to test their devices in Scottish waters.

Publishing the competition guidelines today at the Scottish Renewables annual conference in Glasgow, Mr Mather said:  “I am delighted that the Saltire Prize, Scotland’s challenge to the world to push to the boundaries of marine energy innovation, is now open for applications.  The guidelines have been finalised and are published today. We have been working with The Crown Estate and Marine Scotland to enable new opportunities for global competitors and I am pleased at the co-operation in opening a dedicated new sea-bed leasing round. This will be led by The Crown Estate and will be specifically aimed at new projects competing for the Saltire Prize.

Rob Hastings, Director of the marine estate at The Crown Estate said: “Following on the success of the Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters announcement, we are delighted to be working with the Scottish Government to identify further areas for wave and tidal project leases in Scottish Waters. We share the Scottish Government’s drive to encourage this emerging industry to maturity and we are looking forward to announcing the start of the leasing round later this year.”

Scotland’s seas can provide 25 per cent of Europe’s tidal power and 10 per cent of its wave power. The Scottish Government and The Crown Estate are seeking views on the suitability of the proposed areas for the dedicated leasing round. The areas are:

Wave – West of Shetland, west of the Western Isles, north of Tiree, west of Colonsay
Tidal – West of Islay, west of Kintyre peninsula

It is very encouraging to see Argyll being given the opportunity to make use of its excellent marine energy potential.

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Posted by Andy Macdonald

Tidal Energy Planned in Pentland Firth

March 16, 2010

The Crown Estate has announced the names of the successful bidders for the world’s first commercial wave and tidal leasing round, for ten sites in Scotland’s Pentland Firth and Orkney waters. The 1.2 GW of installed capacity proposed by the wave and tidal energy developers for 2020, 600 MW each from wave and tidal, is four times the peak output of Dounreay power station. This is enough electricity to meet the needs of up to three quarters of a million homes.

ScottishPower Renewables, who are developing the Sound of Islay Tidal Energy project, were awarded a lease for a 100MW tidal site at Ness of Duncansby and a 50MW wave site at Marwick Head.  The 10MW  Sound of Islay project is an important stepping stone to prove the technology before the larger development at Ness of Duncansby.

The First Minister, Alex Salmond, MSP, MP said: “Today marks a major milestone in the global journey towards a low carbon future, with the commercial-scale deployment of marine renewables set to power our economies and help safeguard the planet for generations to come. These waters have been described as the Saudi Arabia of marine power and the wave and tidal projects unveiled today – exceeding the initial 700 MW target capacity – underline the rich natural resources of the waters off Scotland.

“Leading international energy companies and innovators continue to be drawn to Scottish waters, which boast as much as a quarter of Europe’s tidal and offshore wind resource and a tenth of the continent’s potential wave capacity. Together with some 11 GW of planned offshore wind developments, these latest marine renewables projects show that Scotland is powering ahead in the development and deployment of clean, green energy.

Roger Bright, Chief Executive of The Crown Estate said: “This announcement demonstrates the UK’s position as the leader in wave and tidal technologies. Through our experience and some of the best natural resources in the world we have been able to launch the first wave and tidal energy projects on a commercial scale.”

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Posted by Andy Macdonald

Tidal Project Archaeology Surveys

March 13, 2010

One of the most interesting activities of the planning process for the Tidal Energy Project has been the assessment of the marine and shoreline archaeology.

Survey work was recently carried out by Dan Atkinson from Headland Archaeology with local support from Susan Campbell.  Whilst no new discoveries were found during the surveys, the work highlighted the rich selection of historic maps that are available online from the National Library of Scotland (http://www.nls.uk).

Dan Atkinson and Susan Campbell

Dan Atkinson and Susan Campbell

An excellent example is the map of the Sound of Islay between Port Askaig and Feolin from 1882 which can be found at http://bit.ly/Sound1882.  Blaeu’s 1654 Atlas of Scotland can be found at http://bit.ly/Blaeu1654.

On the engineering side of the project, the design of the tidal device is making good progress. Hammerfest Strøm UK Ltd are planning to install a full-scale version of the device at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney later this year.  The testing of the single device in Orkney will provide the confidence to go ahead with the ten devices proposed for the Sound of Islay.

The Navigational Safety Risk Assessment (NSRA) is another important part of the planning process and David Cantello, an independent consultant from Abbot Risk Consulting, has been assessing the potential impact to other marine users.  Meetings took place in November and December with CalMac, Argyll and Bute Council, the MoD, the Northern Lighthouse Board and some of the Port Askaig fishermen.  Any further comments on the potential impact to marine users would be welcomed by Andy Macdonald at the Islay Energy Trust on 810 873 or andrew.macdonald@islayenergytrust.org.uk

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Posted by Andy Macdonald

Carbon Trust Supports Tidal Energy

February 10, 2010

Carbon Trust LogoMarine energy will be ready for mass scale deployment and an important new commercial UK industry by 2020 says the Carbon Trust, as it announces the six most promising technologies that will today receive £22m of new funding to speed up the deployment of full scale prototypes of their leading designs.

Designed and managed by the Carbon Trust, the Marine Renewable Proving Fund (MRPF) uses new funding from the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC). The MRPF marks a new level of commitment to developing wave and tidal technologies by helping the UK’s most promising technologies to progress towards early stage deployment and accelerating the first commercial projects in UK waters.

Hammerfest Strøm UK Ltd., has received a £ 3.9 million grant for the construction and testing of a 1 MW tidal power device at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney.

The tidal turbine, known as HS1000, is expected to be fully operational in Orkney by 2011. Hammerfest Strøm UK has already completed the design and pre-engineering and is now tendering for fabrication and installation.

After a test period, the company will work with ScottishPower Renewables who have plans to install the device as part of a 10MW tidal power array in the Sound of Islay by 2012. This project will be the largest demonstration tidal power project in the world and put ScottishPower Renewables at the forefront of global tidal power developers.

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Posted by Andy Macdonald

Sound of Islay Panoramas

January 21, 2010

The Tidal Energy project has required some detailed analysis of the local area and we now have a good selection of photos from the surveys.  Below are some of the highlights from 2009:

From the trig point at Persabus

From the trig point at Persabus

Port Askaig Harbour

Port Askaig Harbour

Jura in the snow

Jura in the snow

Loch Allan

Loch Allan

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Posted by Andy Macdonald

Measuring Turbulence in the Sound of Islay

November 18, 2009
Deployment of Turbulence Measurement Frame

Deployment of Turbulence Measurement Frame

The tidal energy project is continuing to gather information in preparation for the Environmental Statement that will be submitted to the Scottish Government early next year.

In addition to the bird and sea mammal surveys, a sophisticated turbulence measurement frame was installed last week (see photo).  This equipment, which weighed over two tonnes will provide information that will allow the turbine blades to be optimised for the fast flows in the Sound of Islay.

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Posted by Andy Macdonald

Tidal Project Frequently Asked Questions

November 17, 2009

FAQsA Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) is now available to provide answers to all your questions about the Sound of Islay Tidal Energy Project.

The document can be downloaded by clicking here.

If you have any more questions that you would like answered then please contact:

andrew.macdonald@islayenergytrust.org.uk

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Posted by Andy Macdonald

Al Jazeera News Report on the Tidal Project

November 16, 2009
Tim Friend, Al Jazeera Television

Tim Friend, Al Jazeera Television

Al Jazeera’s television news reporter Tim Friend visited to Islay to report on how the Sound of Islay Tidal project could play its part in tackling climate change.

 

 

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Posted by Andy Macdonald

Newsnight Scotland

September 9, 2009

The Sound of Islay Tidal Energy Project was featured on Newsnight Scotland on Thursday 3rd September.  The report by Douglas Fraser of BBC Scotland included interviews with Alan Mortimer from ScottishPower Renewables, Philip Maxwell from Islay Energy Trust and Kevin Sutherland from Diageo.

The programme is availabel on the BBC’s iPlayer until Thursday 10th September at the following link:

http://bbc.co.uk/i/ml1hq/

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Posted by Andy Macdonald

Tidal Energy in the News

September 7, 2009

Philip Maxwell, chair of IET - photograph copyright Murdo Macleod

Islay and the Sound of Islay Tidal Energy Project has been in the news recently with articles inThe Guardian and on Reporting Scotland and Newsnight Scotland.

The Guardian August 26 2009

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Posted by Andy Macdonald

Marine Renewables Potential

September 2, 2009

Crashing WavesMore than 12,000 jobs in marine renewables could contribute £2.5 billion to Scotland’s economy by 2020, according to a report by Marine Energy Group.

The study charts a course for wave and tidal power around Scotland, and highlights actions to build further success in the sector. Its recommendations, for Government and its partners, include:

A call for the Scottish Government to repeat its Wave and Tidal Energy Support scheme

A review of grid infrastructure required to support growth

A fresh look at the levels of support available under the renewables obligation

Calls for the Treasury to do more to help the sector, including the release of the Fossil Fuel Levy surplus funds to help promote renewables in Scotland

The full report can be found on the Scottish Government website.

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Posted by Andy Macdonald

Survey Work in the Sound of Islay

July 20, 2009
ADCP Recovery

ADCP Recovery

The ScottishPower Renewables (SPR) Sound of Islay Tidal Project is progressing well with the completion of the latest flow measurement activities.  Detailed measurements of the flow across a full day were recorded and the seabed measurements devices that were placed last month were recovered with data over a full tidal cycle.

This new data will enable SPR to identify the best locations for the tidal devices and allow the turbine designers to optimise the design of the units and blades for the conditions in the Sound of Islay.

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Posted by Andy Macdonald

Seabed Surveys and Flow Measurements

June 28, 2009

The Sound of Islay was busier than usual last week when seabed and wildlife surveys started as part of ScottishPower Renewables proposal for a tidal energy project.  The work is part of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and includes a broad survey of birds, sea mammals and seabed ecology in the Sound of Islay.

Bird and sea mammal surveys will take place over the next year from seven observer points on both sides of the Sound. This will provide data at different times of day and different tidal conditions in order to build up a picture of wildlife location and activities. Local survey work is being carried out by Simon Pinder and Fiona MacGillivray.

The ecology of the seabed was also assessed using cameras lowered from the Margaret Sinclair. With excellent weather and visibility the survey team managed to capture over 25 kilometres of still and video images at a depth of over 50 metres. No surprise discoveries so far but the images will be analysed further to identify any species of interest.

A number of flow measurement devices called ADCPs (Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers) have also been placed on the seabed to measure the flow rates in the Sound during different tidal states. The ADCPs had to be placed to an accuracy of ten metres which at a depth of 50 metres in the middle of a tidal stream is not as easy as it sounds. The deployment used two vessels and was carried with the help and local knowledge of diver Colin Campbell.

Colin Campbell

Colin Campbell

Fiona MacGillivray

Fiona MacGillivray

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Posted by Andy Macdonald

Wildlife Survey for Tidal Project

June 8, 2009
Simon Pinder surveying birds near Bunnahabhain

Simon Pinder surveying birds near Bunnahabhain

An extensive survey of birds and sea mammals in the Sound of Islay has started in order to provide baseline data for the proposed Tidal Energy project.  Surveys will take place from seven observer points on both sides of the Sound.  The survey will provide a count of birds and sea mammals at different times of day and different tidal conditions in order to build up a picture of their location and activities.

The work is being carried out by Natural Research with local survey work being carried out by Simon Pinder and Fiona MacGillivray.

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Posted by Andy Macdonald

IET and ScottishPower Renewables Sign Agreement

February 10, 2009

ScottishPower Renewables

The Islay Energy Trust (IET) and Scottish Power Renewables (SPR) have now signed a Memorandum of Understanding covering the joint development of the Sound of Islay Tidal Energy Project. The MoU provides for both parties to work together on the detailed tidal resource study, environmental impact assessment, stakeholder consultation and securing the necessary consents, leases and grid connection required for the establishment of an array of tidal devices supplied by Hammerfest Strom, capacity up to 10 MW, in the Sound of Islay.

Local liaison and consultation on Islay will be managed by IET’s recently appointed Tidal Project Development Officer, Mr Andrew Macdonald, who will also assist in other project development activities undertaken by SPR. The parties will also begin discussions on cooperation in the investment, implementation and operational phases.

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Posted by Andy Macdonald

Community Tidal Energy Project

April 8, 2008

At a public meeting on Wednesday 2nd April, members of the community-owned Islay Energy Trust (“IET”) gave overwhelming support to the IET Board’s proposal to lead the development of Scotland’s first commercial-sized tidal energy project in collaboration with The Robert Gordon University (“RGU”), Aberdeen.

Sound of Islay

Sound of Islay

The proposed project is likely to consist of 4-6 turbine devices (total capacity around 2 MW) installed in the Sound of Islay. The development phases are expected to cost up to £750,000, and take around 3 years to complete. Once in operation, revenue would be generated from electricity sales.

It is estimated that marine energy could comprise around one-third of Scotland’s renewable energy resources; in particular, the seas around the Isle of Islay hold significant potential, second only to those around the Orkney Islands. Islay is already home to the world’s first commercial wave power station – Wavegen’s Limpet at Portnahaven. This new proposal to develop tidal resources will represent a major step forward in the commercialisation of tidal energy exploitation, which could ultimately generate sufficient electricity to supply around 5% of the UK’s demand. It will also make a contribution to meeting Scotland’s target of 50% of electricity demand from renewable energy resources by 2020, and could reduce carbon dioxide emissions by around 4000 tonnes per annum compared with the use of fossil fuels in electricity generation.

IET Chairman, Philip Maxwell, says: “A particular feature of this proposal is the innovative business model. Instead of the more conventional route involving a large energy utility company or turbine manufacturer, the Islay community is taking the initiative in leading the development of what is intended to be a commercially viable and strategically important project. IET wishes to ensure that any exploitation of the considerable tidal energy resources in the seas around the Isle of Islay yields substantial and sustainable benefits to the Islay community, as well as helping to provide greater energy security for the island by supplying around a quarter of its electricity demand.”

Dr Alan Owen of RGU’s School of Engineering said, “Tidal streams offer a substantial and predictable source of renewable energy and this is an area where RGU has specific expertise. The University is delighted to be involved in a project which has both national and international significance for the development of energy from tidal streams.”

IET and RGU will be consulting widely with stakeholders, including the Crown Estate, local fishermen, ferry operators Caledonian MacBrayne and Argyll and Bute Council, tidal technology developers, the Scottish and Westminster Governments, Scottish Natural Heritage, potential funders etc. It is hoped to complete the pre-feasibility study which will evaluate potential tidal resources, locate possible sites for the underwater turbines, and prepare for the environmental impact assessment by the end of this summer.

No decision has yet been taken on the type of technology to be installed. The process of selecting a suitable tidal device will be based on a set of technical, commercial and environmental criteria and subject to independent verification.

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Posted by Andy Macdonald

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