The team behind the 100 MW Fair Head tidal energy project has announced that it has completed over 95 percent of the offshore survey work required to support the planning application for its seabed turbines.
According to the project developer Fair Head Tidal Energy Park Ltd, a company comprised of DP Marine Energy and BluePower, it is making a good progress towards developing an array of tidal turbines 2 km to the east of Fair Head off the north Antrim coast, Northern Ireland.
The Fair Head tidal energy project is a proposed 100 MW renewable energy plant that would power an estimated 70.000 Northern Irish homes by 2020.
Clodagh McGrath, Fair Head Tidal project manager, said the company is within one month of completing a 24 month bird and marine mammal survey programme, DP Energy’s press release reads.
McGrath said: “Talks have also progressed positively with government agencies, regulators and the grid owners with regards to accessing available capacity in the Ballycastle area for grid connection.”
Fair Head Tidal has also confirmed that there will be further engagement with the public and stakeholders regarding the proposal, with another round of local open days ahead of submission of a formal planning application.
Clodagh McGrath added: “We are keen to share further information on our plans. Our priority continues to be the delivery of a tidal energy scheme which will generate clean, emissions free, predictable and sustainable energy. We believe such a scheme will bring benefits to the local area and the wider Northern Ireland economy, both during construction and operation.”
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Image: DP Energy/Illustration