Main navigation

Daily news

Marine renewable energy stretch opens for business

19 November 2008

A section of sea bed has been opened up to companies who want to develop marine renewable energy.

The Pentland Firth off Orkney is now available to businesses looking to build water-based energy schemes.

Owned by the Crown Estate, the stretch of water has already attracted attention from a number of interested parties.

"In this country we are widely recognised as having both the technological lead and some of the best wave and tidal resources in the world," said Rob Hastings, the Crown Estate's director of the marine estate.

"It is essential that this technology is given every opportunity to thrive here, in our waters, to the benefit of the environment, the energy industry and the wider Scottish economy."

Earlier this month it was revealed that development agency Highlands and Islands Enterprise is funding a survey of the potential of the Pentland Firth to generate energy from tidal devices.

The group hopes the study will fill in the gaps on what is already know about the area.