03/02/2010

SeaGen System Wins £2.7m Grant

A tidal energy company has been handed a £2.7m grant to support the enhancement of one of the world's largest tidal energy systems, which is based in Co Down.

SeaGen, the world's largest and so far only megawatt scale grid-connected tidal current energy system, has been supplying electricity to customers in Northern Ireland since December 2008.

Marine Current Turbines (MCT) has received the grant from the Carbon Trust’s Marine Renewables Proving Fund (MRPF).

Martin Wright, Managing Director of MCT, said: "Securing the MRPF funding is another strong vote of confidence in our SeaGen technology and importantly we are proving that our SeaGen technology works extremely well supplying power to commercial customers on a daily basis."

"The experience that we are gaining from SeaGen’s real-time operation is of enormous value as we seek to improve its efficiency and operational capabilities in advance of deploying further turbines into our first tidal farms.

"The Carbon Trust funding will be used to assess SeaGen's operation, our engineering processes, construction and installation techniques and assist us in reviewing and evaluating a range of other important issues."

SeaGen is located at the mouth of Strangford Lough.

(NS/BMcC)

Related Northern Ireland News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

07 June 2007
Tidal turbine confirmed for Strangford narrows
Marine Current Turbines (MCT) has confirmed that installation of its SeaGen commercial tidal energy system will commence during the week of August 20 on Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland. At 1.
28 March 2008
Tidal Energy World First 'A Step Closer'
Northern Ireland has moved a step closer to having the world's first commercial scale tidal energy system.
19 March 2008
Strangford Lough Turbine To Power Up At Easter
With a 'fair wind', next weekend will see a world beating initiative underway in Strangford Lough with the installation of the earth's first ever turbine capable of generating commercial amounts of electricity from tidal energy.
28 February 2022
Further Tree Clearances In Belfast Tidal Flood Alleviation Scheme
The Department of Infrastructure has announced the that further essential tree clearances will continue today ahead of bird nesting season as part of the next phase of the Belfast Tidal Flood Alleviation Scheme.
24 July 2008
Strangford Lough Turbine Stalls
Northern Ireland's much anticipated world-first tidal turbine, on Strangford Lough, has hit a glitch. Described as a 'minor hiccup', the fault occurred the day after last Thursday's launch. A Seagen programming problem resulted in one of the blades sustaining damage.