The Perpetuus Tidal Energy Centre (PTEC) has received approval for the tidal energy generation site off the Isle of Wight.
The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has granted its approval for the offshore elements of PTEC, a 30MW tidal power project. The onshore part of the project was approved by the local planning authority last year.
The project, operated as a joint venture between Perpetuus Energy and the Isle of Wight Council, could see up to 60 turbines producing clean electricity off the UK.
According to Perpetuus, the construction of the project could start in 2017, with potential to be generating electricity from late 2018.
Mark Francis , project director, said: “ We are delighted with the decision. PTEC is of strategic importance to the UK’s tidal industry as it delivers a fully consented site for a range of turbine technologies, deployed in large commercial arrays. By allowing multiple turbine technologies to use the same site and share the same consents and infrastructure, we can simultaneously bring down the cost of energy and accelerate the growth of the tidal industry.
“We started work on the PTEC project back in 2010, and secured the seabed Agreement for Lease in November 2012. We have been liaising with the MMO on the determination of our consent application for more than 16 months, with support from Royal HaskoningDHV and IT Power, both of whom have a proven track record in the tidal energy field.
“We now look forward to further work with the MMO and other stakeholders and completing the final development phase before we begin construction.”