According to report in the Guardian (not dated 1st April, before you ask), the good folks of Islay are planning to install commercial scale tidal power (to go with the LIMPET wave device).
A look at the consultation document (on the Islay Energy Trust website) shows that the first £750,000 will be spent over the next three years as follows:
- Phase 1 Consultation
- Phase 2 Pre-feasibility
- Phase 3 Feasibility
- Phase 4 Consents
Impressively, the document includes a list as long as your arm of people who the Islay Energy Trust hopes might be convinced to pay for various elements of this work. This document goes on to say that the installed cost of the turbines will be £1.4 million/MW - £3 million/MW and aiming for a target electricity cost of 8.5p/kWh.
These figures would certainly offer a commercial return, but I don't think anyone could achieve these costs yet. So the project is relying on the technology advancing to meet the island's need, and there are plenty of companies seeking to develop their concepts to this point.
The document says that no choices have been made as to the technology to be deployed, so it would seem that the door is open for all developers!
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