Client News-Marine Current Turbines and ESBI enter into agreement to develop major tidal energy project in Northern Ireland

ESB International (ESBI) has entered an agreement with tidal energy company Marine Current Turbines (MCT) to develop an initial phase of a 100MW tidal energy project off the Antrim coast in Northern Ireland.

ESBI and MCT will work together to submit a proposal to the forthcoming Marine Leasing Round in Northern Ireland to secure an Agreement for Lease from The Crown Estate to commence formal consenting of the project. If successful, and subject to the achievement of consent, the initial phase of the project, which will use the MCT SeaGen device, could be in operation by 2018. The ESBI/MCT project will assist Northern Ireland in achieving its marine renewable energy targets as outlined in the Northern Ireland Department of Enterprise, Trade & Investment’s Strategic Action Plan which calls for 300MW of tidal energy by 2020.

SeaGen is the largest and most powerful tidal stream turbine in the world and the only one that is regularly generating electrcitiy for customers, having been accredited by OFGEM, the UK industry regulator, as an “official” power station. The award-winning 1.2MW turbine has been operating in Northern Ireland’s Strangford Lough since April 2008 and last month (August) achieved another operational milestone by delivering its 2 millionth kWh of power to the grid. Thanks to Strangford being an exceptionally energetic location, SeaGen regularly produces as much electricity as an average off-shore wind turbine of double the rated power. This power is already being sold by ESB’s retail electricity supply business, ESB Independent Energy, to customers in Northern Ireland.

Safeguarding the environment is a key issue and ESBI is preparing an environmental scoping report on the project as an initial step in undertaking a full environmental impact assessment. In order to gain a thorough understanding of the tidal potential, ESBI has also undertaken tidal resource measurements off the Antrim coast over the summer months. This data is currently being analysed and it is planned to undertake further surveys in the coming months.

ESB Chief Executive, Padraig McManus, said ESB's strategy to 2020 involves focusing on sustainable and renewable energies. "We look forward to working with MCT on this exciting new project. Our aim is to use our experience and technical strength to support the development of a viable ocean energy industry in Ireland and this project is an important step in realising that goal", he said.

Martin Wright, Managing Director of Marine Current Turbines said "This agreement underlines the success to date of the SeaGen project in Strangford Lough but importantly the real and growing commercial interest in tidal energy. Our agreement with ESBI, which has been a valued shareholder in MCT for 2½ years, confirms MCT's tidal technology at being in the forefront in the race to harness the power of tides. We are pleased that ESBI has chosen MCT to develop the initial phase of this project."

Notes to Editors

About ESB

ESB has a corporate target to develop 150MW of ocean energy in Ireland by 2020 and the proposed tidal project off the Antrim Coast is a key project in delivering this target. ESB's retail subsidiary, ESB Independent Energy, already supplies tidal energy to its customers in Northern Ireland through its purchase of the electricity output from the SeaGen tidal facility in Strangford Lough. ESB is one of the first utilities in the world to provide tidal energy to its customers.

The Board of ESB approved a strategic framework with a €22 billion investment programme to 2020. The main focus of the framework is the sustainable and responsible use of natural resources, leading to the halving of its carbon emissions within 12 years and attainment of a carbon net-zero position by 2035. About half of the total €22 billion investment package will be devoted to renewables through direct investments in renewable energy projects and initiatives supporting sustainability such as smart metering and smart networks.

By 2020, ESB will be producing one-third of its electricity from renewable generation, delivering over 1,400MW of wind generation (with over 100MW already installed), and exploiting the potential of wave, tidal and biomass resources. ESB Networks will invest €11 billion in vital infrastructure to facilitate the development of up to 6,000MW of wind power on the island of Ireland.

www.esb.ie www.esbi.ie

About Marine Current Turbines

Marine Current Turbines Ltd (www.marineturbines.com) is based in Bristol, England. The company was established in 2000 and its principal corporate shareholders include BankInvest, Carbon Trust Investments, EDF Energy, ESB International, Guernsey Electricity, High Tide and Siemens Energy. The company is chaired by Paul Lester, the former Chief Executive of VT Group plc.

In September 2009, MCT was ranked the world’s top tidal energy company in The Guardian/Clean Tech Global 100 Survey and in June 2009 won Renewable Energy Developer of the Year in the UK Renewable Energy Association Annual Awards.

MCT’s 1.2MW SeaGen was deployed in Northern Ireland’s Strangford Lough in April 2008; it has the capacity to generate electricity for the equivalent of about 1500 homes and has the equivalent in energy output as a 2.5MW wind turbine. SeaGen works in principle much like an “underwater windmill” with the rotors driven by the power of the tidal currents rather than the wind. The SeaGen turbine is subject to a rigorous monitoring programme imposed under its licensing conditions to ensure it does not threaten the marine life of Strangford Lough where it is located.

MCT is working with RWE npower renewables to develop a 10MW tidal farm off Anglesey by 2013/2014 and with Minas Bay Pulp & Paper to deploy a single SeaGen system in Canada’s Bay of Fundy. In March 2010, MCT secured approval for a lease from The Crown Estate to deploy its SeaGen tidal current technology off Brough Ness, on the southern most tip of the Orkney Islands (South Ronaldsay) and north east of John O’Groats. The company plans to have its first phase of SeaGen tidal turbines deployed there during 2017 with the whole scheme operational by 2020.

ANGLESEY TIDAL ENERGY PLAN MOVE FORWARD

Public exhibition on August 23 & 24th at Holyhead Town Hall

Marine Current Turbines Ltd and its project partner, RWE npower renewables, will be hosting an exhibition about their plans to harness the power of the tidal waters off the north-west coast of Anglesey to generate electricity for up to 20% of the Island. The exhibition, open to members of the public, will be held at Holyhead Town Hall on August 23rd and 24th.

The exhibition is an opportunity for people to learn more about the proposed project, which was first announced in February 2008, in advance of Marine Current Turbines (MCT) and RWE npower renewables submitting a planning application for the offshore elements (the tidal turbines and the subsea cables) of the scheme to the Welsh Assembly Government. The application for offshore consent is likely to be submitted in September.

The proposed tidal energy scheme will consist of up to 9 turbines to be located between the Skerries group of rocks and islands and Carmel Head about 1Km off the Anglesey coast. The 10.5MW tidal farm, using the fast moving and predictable flow of the tides, will use MCT’s proven and award-winning tidal energy technology (known as SeaGen and which is essentially an underwater windmill) to generate enough power to supply electricity to around 10,000 homes – approximately 20% of Anglesey’s electricity demand.

Subject to securing planning and financing for the project, MCT and RWE npower renewables are targeting 2013/2014 for the start of commissioning. The estimated cost of the project is £50million.

For the past 36 months, the project team has been carrying out a series of environmental, engineering and technical studies to examine the suitability of the Skerries site and to assess the potential impact of the tidal farm on marine life and users of the sea.

In addition, Marine Current Turbines has consulted a range of organisations about its plans, including Ynys Mon County Council, the Countryside Council for Wales, RSPB, Trinity House, the Maritime & Coastguard Agency and the Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Sciences. In addition, MCT has spoken with a number of recreational groups that use the area including sailing, kayaking, diving and fishing groups. To date, the proposed scheme has been widely welcomed.

In the development of its plans for the Skerries, the company has drawn upon the experience of its tidal project in Northern Ireland’s Strangford Lough. The single SeaGen tidal turbine has been generating power into the local grid since 2008 and as part of its licence conditions to operate is subject to a comprehensive environmental monitoring programme.

Joseph Kidd, Development Manager at Marine Current Turbines said: “We consider the Skerries stretch of water to be an ideal site for a small tidal farm and we are keen to hear people’s views before we finalise the planning application. The exhibition is also an opportunity for people to learn more about the advantages of tidal power and how our scheme can benefit the Anglesey economy. The scheme will not only generate clean energy for local homes and businesses but also give local firms the chance to be involved in the tidal farm’s installation and operation.”

Commenting on the plans for the Skerries tidal farm, Albert Owen (MP for Yyns Mon) said: “I welcome all forms of renewable energy and hope that people will take this opportunity to look at this technology and the future that Anglesey has in tidal power.”

In Northern Ireland, a number of local companies such as marine support vessels, engineering and electrical contractors, civil engineers, environmental scientists and divers as well as local hotels, pubs and restaurants have benefited from MCT’s SeaGen project. It is estimated that the project has contributed more than £4.0m into the local economy over the past three years.

The Skerries tidal project exhibition will be held at Holyhead Town Hall Newry Street, Holyhead LL65 1HN

Monday, August 23rd from 2.00pm till 8.00pm

Tuesday, August 24th from 9.00am till 2.00pm

For further information:

Marine Current Turbines (www.marineturbines.com)

Joe Kidd, Project Manager

Tel: 0117 979 1888

or

Paul Taylor (Taylor Keogh Communications)

Tel: 020 3170 8465 / 07966 782611 /paul@taylorkeogh.com

RWE npower renewables

Mark Fleming

Tel: 01793 474173 / 07825 608096 / mark.fleming@rwe.com

Notes to Editors

About Marine Current Turbines:

1. Marine Current Turbines Ltd (www.marineturbines.com) is based in Bristol, England. The company was established in 2000 and its principal corporate shareholders include BankInvest, Carbon Trust Investments, EDF Energy, ESB International, Guernsey Electricity, High Tide and Siemens Energy. The company is chaired by Paul Lester, the former Chief Executive of VT Group plc.

2. In September 2009, MCT was ranked the world’s top tidal energy company in The Guardian/Clean Tech Global 100 Survey and in June 2009 won Renewable Energy Developer of the Year in the UK Renewable Energy Association Annual Awards.

3. MCT’s 1.2MW SeaGen was deployed in Northern Ireland’s Strangford Lough in April 2008; it has the capacity to generate electricity for the equivalent of about 1500 homes and has the equivalent in energy output as a 2.5MW onshore wind turbine. SeaGen works in principle much like an “underwater windmill” with the rotors driven by the power of the tidal currents rather than the wind. The SeaGen turbine is subject to a rigorous monitoring programme imposed under its licensing conditions to ensure it does not threaten the marine life of Strangford Lough where it is located.

4. SeaGen is accredited by OFGEM as a UK power station and so is a recipient of Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs).

5. MCT is working with Minas Bay Pulp & Paper to deploy a single SeaGen system in Canada’s Bay of Fundy, and in March 2010, MCT secured approval for a lease from The Crown Estate to deploy its SeaGen tidal current technology off Brough Ness, on the southern most tip of the Orkney Islands (South Ronaldsay) and north east of John O’Groats. The company plans to have its first phase of SeaGen tidal turbines deployed there during 2017 with the whole scheme operational by 2020.

About RWE npower renewables:

1. RWE npower renewables is the UK subsidiary of RWE Innogy and is one of the UK's leading renewable energy developers and operators, committed to developing and operating wind farms and hydro plant to produce sustainable electricity. The company operates 17 hydroelectric power projects and 23 wind farms in the UK, including the country's first major offshore wind farm, North Hoyle. RWE npower renewables is also working with marine energy technology partners to deliver new wave and tidal stream power projects in the UK. Through our existing projects and those in development, we are working in close partnership with communities and companies throughout the UK. As Government policy focuses on achieving its EU commitment for 15% of UK energy to come from renewables sources by 2020, renewable electricity generation will need to increase to 30% of total output. We will be at the forefront of realising this aim.

2. In Wales, the company operates six hydroelectric power projects in North Wales, two offshore wind farms – North Hoyle, the UK's first major offshore wind farm, and Rhyl Flats, the largest renewables project in Wales, both off the North Wales coast. It also operates seven onshore wind farms from Neath in South Wales to Anglesey in the north.

3.RWE Innogy pools the renewable energy expertise and generating plant of the RWE Group. The company plans, builds and operates renewable power generation facilities, and aims to vigorously grow its renewable energy capacity in the UK and Continental Europe.

4. RWE npower renewables is a sister company to RWE npower, a leading integrated UK energy company with around 6.8 million customer accounts. RWE npower also owns and operates a flexible portfolio of conventional power stations as well as a portfolio of cogeneration plant producing more than 10% of the electricity used in England and Wales.

5. RWE is a major employer in Wales, operating three renewables office bases in South, Mid and North Wales, the Aberthaw Power Station and two Combined Heat and Power plants at Barry and Bridgend. In all, RWE's installed conventional and renewable energy generation in Wales supplies the equivalent of around one-third of Wales' electricity needs.

6. For further information about RWE npower renewables and RWE Innogy visit www.npower-renewables.com and www.rweinnogy.com For further information about RWE npower visit www.rwenpower.com

Client News- MCT passes another milestone

World's most powerful tidal stream turbine passes another milestone: two million kWh delivered

Date of issue: Tuesday, August 17th 2010

Marine Current Turbines’ SeaGen, the world’s first and only commercial scale tidal stream energy turbine, has passed another electricity generation milestone. The 1.2MW SeaGen, located in Strangford Lough (Northern Ireland), has delivered its two millionth unit of electricity into the UK electricity grid. It is now operating 24 hours, seven days a week and is well on course to be the first tidal system to meet the power generation criteria for the UK Government’s Marine Renewables Deployment Fund.

SeaGen is the only tidal energy system regularly generating power into the UK electricity grid and is the only tidal system to be accredited by OFGEM as a UK power station and also as a recipient of ROCs (Renewable Obligation Certificates). SeaGen is producing as much electricity as an average off-shore wind turbine of double the capacity and, unlike wind power generation, SeaGen’s output is wholly predictable.

Peter Fraenkel, Technical Director of Marine Current Turbines said: “Passing the 2 million kWh mark represents considerable progress and underlines the significant potential that our technology and base-load tidal energy has to offer. We are delivering marine energy on a daily basis which shows that our SeaGen technology is leading the race to harness the power of the seas by a large margin.”

It took SeaGen from July 2008 until March of this year to generate the first million units largely due to licence restictions placed on its operation. However since March the restrictions, to check that SeaGen’s operation did not have any adverse effect on marine life, have been significantly relaxed by the regulating authority and 24/7 operation has been allowed. So in just the five months since 24/7 operation started, SeaGen has delivered its second million.”

Peter Fraenkel added: “SeaGen, which produces 1.2MW for all current velocities higher than 2.4m/s, remains the world’s most powerful tidal turbine and after two years of development and successful operation is ready to be deployed on a commercial basis in other stretches of tidal water.

“It is worth clarifying that the key factor, which fixes the energy capturing capability of a tidal turbine, is its effective rotor swept area; this gives a measure of the amount of the resource that the machine can capture energy from. SeaGen’s twin rotors sweep 402 square meters of cross-section of current which is much larger than other tidal stream systems which are to be tested shortly. More importantly, SeaGen has been generating power for the past two years and therefore is unique as the world’s only megawatt scale tidal turbine with a verifiable and audited generating track record.”

Notes to Editors

1. Marine Current Turbines Ltd (www.marineturbines.com) is based in Bristol, England. The company was established in 2000 and its principal corporate shareholders include BankInvest, Carbon Trust Investments, EDF Energy, ESB International, Guernsey Electricity, High Tide and Siemens Energy. The company is chaired by Paul Lester, the former Chief Executive of VT Group plc.

2. In September 2009, MCT was ranked the world’s top tidal energy company in The Guardian/Clean Tech Global 100 Survey and in June 2009 won Renewable Energy Developer of the Year in the UK Renewable Energy Association Annual Awards.

3. MCT’s 1.2MW SeaGen was deployed in Northern Ireland’s Strangford Lough in April 2008; it has the capacity to generate electricity for the equivalent of about 1500 homes and has the equivalent in energy output as a 2.5MW onshore wind turbine. SeaGen works in principle much like an “underwater windmill” with the rotors driven by the power of the tidal currents rather than the wind. The SeaGen turbine is subject to a rigorous monitoring programme imposed under its licensing conditions to ensure it does not threaten the marine life of Strangford Lough where it is located.

4. MCT is working with RWE npower renewables to develop a 10MW tidal farm off Anglesey and with Minas Bay Pulp & Paper to deploy a single SeaGen system in Canada’s Bay of Fundy. In March 2010, MCT secured approval for a lease from The Crown Estate to deploy its SeaGen tidal current technology off Brough Ness, on the southern most tip of the Orkney Islands (South Ronaldsay) and north east of John O’Groats. The company plans to have its first phase of SeaGen tidal turbines deployed there during 2017 with the whole scheme operational by 2020.

Client News-VISITS SEAGEN AT STRANGFORD LOUGH

PRINCE OF WALES VISITS SEAGEN AT STRANGFORD LOUGH

His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales has visited Marine Current Turbines’ SeaGen, the world leading marine current and tidal stream technology that is deployed in Northern Ireland’s Strangford Lough and generating power into the local grid on a daily basis.

HRH was greeted (May 13th) by Mr David Lindsay the Lord-Lieutenant for County Down and went on to meet Mrs Arlene Foster MLA Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment, Martin Wright Managing Director of Marine Current Turbines (MCT), and Professor Peter Gregson DL President and Vice-Chancellor Queen’s University Belfast. The Queen’s Marine Research facility at Portaferry, on the shore of Strangford Lough, provides an operating and monitoring base for MCT and offers research assistance to the company in its operation of SeaGen.

His Royal Highness attended a short presentation on the SeaGen project from MCT’s Martin Wright and colleagues and then sailed out to the turbine to see the project in its operational environment.

Picture attached: Seeing SeaGen close up - HRH Prince Charles with Mrs Arlene Foster, Northern Ireland’s Minister of Enterprise, Trade & Investment.

Notes to Editors:
1. Marine Current Turbines Ltd (www.marineturbines.com) is based in Bristol, England. The company was established in 2000 and its principal corporate shareholders include BankInvest, Carbon Trust Investments, EDF Energy, ESB International, Guernsey Electricity, High Tide and Siemens Energy.

2. In September 2009, MCT was ranked the world’s top tidal energy company in The Guardian/Clean Tech Global 100 Survey and in June 2009 won Renewable Energy Developer of the Year in the UK Renewable Energy Association Annual Awards.

3. MCT’s 1.2MW SeaGen was deployed in Northern Ireland’s Strangford Lough in April 2008; it has the capacity to generate power for the equivalent of about 1500 homes. It works in principle much like an “underwater windmill” with the rotors driven by the power of the tidal currents rather than the wind. The SeaGen turbine is subject to a rigorous monitoring programme imposed under its licensing conditions to ensure it does not threaten the marine life of Strangford Lough where it is located.

4. SeaGen is accredited by OFGEM as a UK power station and so is a recipient of Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs).

5. Since February 2008, MCT has partnered RWE npower renewables on plans to develop a 10MW tidal farm in waters off Anglesey, north Wales and is working with Minas Bay Pulp & Paper to deploy a single SeaGen system in Canada’s Bay of Fundy.

6. In March 2010, MCT secured approval for a lease from The Crown Estate to deploy its SeaGen tidal current technology off Brough Ness, on the southern most tip of the Orkney Islands (South Ronaldsay) and north east of John O’Groats. The company plans to have its first phase of SeaGen tidal turbines deployed there during 2017 with the whole scheme operational by 2020.

Client News-UK ENERGY MINISTER APPLAUDS SEAGEN TIDAL PROJECT

UK ENERGY MINISTER APPLAUDS SEAGEN TIDAL PROJECT

On a visit to Northern Ireland’s Strangford Lough, Lord Hunt of Kings Heath, the UK’s Energy Minister, today congratulated Marine Current Turbines (MCT) on its achievements to design, deploy and operate its SeaGen tidal current energy system.

SeaGen is the largest grid-connected marine renewable energy system in the world and which last month exceeded 1000 hours of commercial operation. SeaGen is the first tidal current energy system in the world to have achieved this milestone. The 1.2MW tidal current turbine, which was deployed in April 2008, has achieved a capacity factor of 66% and so far delivered more than 800MWh of electricity into the National Grid.

Lord Hunt, who used his visit to launch the Marine Energy Action Plan for UK waters, said “I applaud Marine Current Turbines’ pioneering work with SeaGen. The company’s engineering expertise and determination is to be admired. The success of the SeaGen project shows how British companies, like MCT, with the active support from Government, can harness the massive energy potential that exists in British and overseas waters, and at the same time form the basis of a new and world-class industry for Britain.”

Martin Wright, Managing Director of Marine Current Turbines said: “We are delighted to welcome Lord Hunt to Strangford Lough. The support and encouragement of the UK Government, both in London and Belfast, were instrumental in getting SeaGen deployed. SeaGen is showing that tidal power can be a reality. We hope that SeaGen’s demonstrable success will help to maintain the vital political impetus necessary for Government policy initiatives that are still required to commercialise the technology and ensure that it, together with the rest of the British marine energy sector, makes a long-term contribution to the UK economy. “

“The recent investment in MCT made by global engineering company, Siemens, underlines the commercial potential and engineering quality of our patented SeaGen technology but a significant step change in the financing of marine energy projects will be necessary if we are to deploy the UK’s first tidal array by 2012. SeaGen’s success, coupled with the support of Siemens, Carbon Trust Investments and our other shareholders, puts MCT in a strong position to meet the challenges that lie ahead.”

Siemens Energy’s investment in Marine Current Turbines was announced last month (February 25th 2010). New investment in the company from the Carbon Trust, EDF Energy and other shareholders was secured in December 2009 and February 2010. These two funding rounds totalled £8.5million.

In February 2010, Marine Current Turbines also received £2.7m from the UK Government’s Marine Renewables Proving Fund and administered by the Carbon Trust. This funding stream is being used to support the improvement of SeaGen’s operation and its future installation.

Notes to Editors:

1. Marine Current Turbines Ltd (www.marineturbines.com) is based in Bristol, England. The company was established in 2000 and its principal corporate shareholders include BankInvest, Carbon Trust Investments, EDF Energy, ESB International, Guernsey Electricity, High Tide and Siemens Energy.

2. In September 2009, MCT was ranked the world’s top tidal energy company in The Guardian/Clean Tech Global 100 Survey and in June 2009 won Renewable Energy Developer of the Year in the UK Renewable Energy Association Annual Awards.

3. MCT’s 1.2MW SeaGen was deployed in Northern Ireland’s Strangford Lough in April 2008; it has the capacity to generate power for the equivalent of about 1500 homes. It works in principle much like an “underwater windmill” with the rotors driven by the power of the tidal currents rather than the wind. The SeaGen turbine is subject to a rigorous monitoring programme imposed under its licensing conditions to ensure it does not threaten the marine life of Strangford Lough where it is located.

4. SeaGen is accredited by OFGEM as a UK power station and so is a recipient of Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs).

5. Since February 2008, MCT has partnered RWE npower renewables on plans to develop a 10MW tidal farm in waters off Anglesey, north Wales and is working with Minas Bay Pulp & Paper to deploy a single SeaGen system in Canada’s Bay of Fundy.

Client News-MARINE CURRENT TURBINES TO DEPLOY TIDAL FARM OFF ORKNEY AFTER SECURING SITE LEASE FROM THE CROWN ESTATE

MARINE CURRENT TURBINES TO DEPLOY TIDAL FARM OFF ORKNEY

AFTER SECURING SITE LEASE FROM THE CROWN ESTATE

Marine Current Turbines Ltd has secured approval for a lease from The Crown Estate to deploy its award-winning SeaGen tidal current technology off Brough Ness, on the southern most tip of the Orkney Islands (South Ronaldsay) and north east of John O’Groats. The company plans to have its first phase of SeaGen tidal turbines deployed during 2017 with the whole scheme operational by 2020.

Marine Current Turbines (MCT) is planning to install 66 SeaGen tidal turbines in three phases over a four year period in a site area of 4.3 square kilometres. The Brough Ness tidal array will have a total generating capacity of 99MW – enough power for nearly 100,000 homes.

SeaGen is the world-leading prototype tidal energy turbine designed and deployed by MCT. It is the largest grid-connected marine renewable energy system in the world and which last month exceeded 1000 hours of commercial operation in Northern Ireland’s Strangford Lough. It is the first tidal current energy system in the world to have achieved this milestone. The 1.2MW tidal current turbine, which was deployed in April 2008, has achieved a capacity factor of 66% and so far delivered more than 800MWh of electricity into the National Grid.

Martin Wright, Managing Director of Marine Current Turbines said: “The Pentland Firth and Orkney waters are strategically the most important marine energy areas in Western Europe so we are delighted to have secured approval for a lease by The Crown Estate. I believe that MCT is in a very strong position to capitalise on this significant and challenging opportunity. MCT already has the valuable experience of deploying and operating SeaGen in Northern Ireland’s Strangford Lough and within the next two to three years we expect to have deployed our first tidal farm in UK waters.”

Subject to financing and final agreements with The Crown Estate, Marine Current Turbines is aiming to secure planning and environment consents for Brough Ness by 2015, to start construction in 2016 and the first phase of deployment in 2017. The timing of construction and deployment will be dependent on the local grid infrastructure being strengthened.

Roger Bright CB, Chief Executive of The Crown Estate said: "I am delighted to announce that Marine Current Turbines has been awarded the Brough Ness site to develop 99MW of tidal energy power in Pentland Firth And Orkney Waters, the world’s first commercial wave and tidal leasing round.

"The 1.2GW of installed capacity proposed by the wave and tidal energy developers for 2020, shows the world that marine energy can produce meaningful amounts of electricity and offers a real alternative to conventional power production. The long term prospects for this growing industry are exceptionally bright, with vast amounts of untapped energy in the seas all around the UK. It will create new businesses and jobs as well as attracting inward investment.”

As with its SeaGen project in Northern Ireland, where local companies played a prominent part in delivering the scheme, Marine Current Turbines will look to companies in the Orkneys and Caithness & Sutherland to support its Brough Ness tidal project.

Martin Wright added: “We recognise that the local supply chain could provide us with valuable expertise, not least in marine and port services, and in engineering and fabrication. We are very keen to work with local companies and the local agencies so that they can share in this exciting opportunity.”

This latest news from MCT comes a day after Lord Hunt, the UK’s Energy Minister visited the company’s SeaGen project in Northern Ireland (March 15th), and follows Siemens Energy’s investment in Marine Current Turbines that was announced last month (February 25th 2010) and new investment in the company from the Carbon Trust, EDF Energy and other shareholders in December 2009 and February 2010. These two funding rounds totalled £8.5million.

In February 2010, Marine Current Turbines also received £2.7m from the UK Government’s Marine Renewables Proving Fund and administered by the Carbon Trust. This funding stream is being used to support the improvement of SeaGen’s operation and its future installation.

Notes to Editors:

1. Marine Current Turbines Ltd (www.marineturbines.com) is based in Bristol, England. The company was established in 2000 and its principal corporate shareholders include BankInvest, Carbon Trust Investments, EDF Energy, ESB International, Guernsey Electricity, High Tide and Siemens Energy.

2. In September 2009, MCT was ranked the world’s top tidal energy company in The Guardian/Clean Tech Global 100 Survey and in June 2009 won Renewable Energy Developer of the Year in the UK Renewable Energy Association Annual Awards.

3. MCT’s 1.2MW SeaGen was deployed in Northern Ireland’s Strangford Lough in April 2008; it has the capacity to generate power for the equivalent of about 1500 homes. It works in principle much like an “underwater windmill” with the rotors driven by the power of the tidal currents rather than the wind. The SeaGen turbine is subject to a rigorous monitoring programme imposed under its licensing conditions to ensure it does not threaten the marine life of Strangford Lough where it is located.

4. SeaGen is accredited by OFGEM as a UK power station and so is a recipient of Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs).

5. Since February 2008, MCT has partnered RWE npower renewables on plans to develop a 10MW tidal farm in waters off Anglesey, north Wales and is working with Minas Bay Pulp & Paper to deploy a single SeaGen system in Canada’s Bay of Fundy.

Client News-International business backing for leading UK tidal energy company

International business backing for leading UK tidal energy company

SIEMENS INVESTS IN MARINE CURRENT TURBINES

British tidal energy company, Marine Current Turbines Ltd, today announces that global engineering firm, Siemens, has invested in the firm alongside the Carbon Trust, High Tide and other private investors.

Following an investment round led by the Carbon Trust in 2009, this latest funding brings the total investment in Marine Current Turbines over the past two months to £8.5million. Investors in the first round included Bank Invest, Carbon Trust, EDF Energy and High Tide.

Lord Hunt, Minister of State for the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change welcomed the new £4.8million funding round saying “Our seas are a fantastic asset that can generate clean, green and home-grown power that will boost our transition to a low carbon economy. I’m pleased that more investors are coming forward to back Marine Current Turbines as they seek to harness the UK’s excellent tidal resources.”

The total funding will help Marine Current Turbines (MCT) in its plans to deploy the UK’s first commercial tidal energy farm in UK waters within the next two years. SeaGen, the company’s world-leading prototype commercial tidal energy turbine, has already exceeded 1,000 hours of operation in Northern Ireland’s Strangford Lough, a first for any marine energy device.

René Umlauft, CEO of the Renewable Energy Division of Siemens Energy said: “With this investment in an early stage company we’re securing access to an innovative technology in the field of renewables. As one of the technology leaders in ocean power, Marine Current Turbines is a suitable partner for us to enter the promising ocean power market.”

Martin Wright, Managing Director of Marine Current Turbines said: “Siemens’ investment in MCT underlines the significant commercial potential that exists for tidal energy across the globe, and enables us to draw upon the company’s extensive knowledge and experience in turbine generation technology. We are delighted to have Siemens on board. Siemens is a company with an outstanding international reputation and will help us develop our technology and deliver tidal energy on a commercial and global basis.”

Tom Delay, Chief Executive, Carbon Trust said: “This new deal represents a major vote of confidence in Britain’s marine energy industry. The UK must urgently diversify, decarbonise and secure its energy sources and marine energy could over time provide up to 20% of the UK’s electricity. Generating electricity from the UK’s powerful wave and tidal resource not only plays a crucial role in meeting our climate change targets but also presents a significant economic opportunity for the UK.”

Ends

For further information & images of MCT’s tidal technology:

Marine Current Turbines

Martin Wright, Managing Director Paul Taylor (Taylor Keogh Communications)

Tel: + 44 (0)117 979 1888 / +44 (0)7785 340671 Tel: +44 (0)20 3170 8465 / +44 (0)7966 782611

Email: paul@taylorkeogh.com

Siemens press office

Eva-Maria Baumann

Tel: +49 9131 18-3700

E-mail: eva-maria.baumann@siemens.com



Carbon Trust press office

Tel: +44 (0)207 544 3100

Client News-MCT's SeaGen passes 1000 hours landmark

SEAGEN PASSES 1000 OPERATIONAL HOURS OF TIDAL CURRENT ENERGY AT STRANGFORD LOUGH

Wednesday, February 10th 2010

SeaGen, the world-leading prototype tidal energy turbine designed and deployed by Marine Current Turbines Ltd (MCT) has exceeded 1000 hours of operation in Northern Ireland’s Strangford Lough. It is the first tidal current or wave energy system in the world to have achieved this milestone.

The 1.2MW tidal current turbine, the largest megawatt scale grid-connected marine renewable energy system in the world, has achieved a capacity factor of 66% and so far delivered 800MWh into the National Grid.

This high capacity factor means that the tidal turbine delivers energy on average at the same rate to be expected from a wind turbine of approximately twice the rated power. Furthermore, the output is totally predictable. This performance has exceeded expectations largely thanks to the intensity of the Strangford Lough tide race and MCT’s own conservative design predictions.

Martin Wright, Managing Director of Marine Current Turbines said: “We are delighted with SeaGen’s performance. Passing the 1000 hours mark is a great milestone which not only demonstrates the potential for tidal power, but will also help to reinforce confidence in extracting energy from the seas in the future.”

Since starting operation in late 2008, SeaGen’s operation has been limited by its licence conditions to daylight hours, and it is only since the autumn (2009) that SeaGen has operated automatically and without the presence of “marine mammal observers” on board. It was this change that has allowed a considerable increase in SeaGen’s operational hours.

The company is now preparing SeaGen for more intensive operation and it is hoped to gain consent for continuous “24/7” operation before the summer. In the next few weeks, MCT’s also plans to run SeaGen under supervision of specialists from DNV (Det Norsk Veritas), one of the world’s leading marine classification societies, to obtain independent verification of its performance.

Martin Wright added: “SeaGen is operating as it was designed to do. Crucially, the operational experience and data that we are gaining every day is hugely valuable as we work towards deploying the UK’s first tidal farm within the next two years. SeaGen is a commercial scale prototype and already we are incorporating into the design of the next machines subtle changes to improve maintainability and reliability which are vital for commercial generation.”

Last week (February 2nd), MCT secured £2.7m from the Carbon Trust’s Marine Renewables Proving Fund to support the company’s evaluation and operation of SeaGen as a precursor to the deployment of a tidal farm by MCT in UK waters.



Notes to Editors:

1. Marine Current Turbines Ltd (www.marineturbines.com) is based in Bristol, England. The company was established in 2000 and its principal corporate shareholders include BankInvest, Carbon Trust Investments, EDF Energy, ESB International, Guernsey Electricity and High Tide. The company has a power purchase agreement with Ireland’s ESB Independent Energy for SeaGen’s output.

2. In September 2009, MCT was ranked the world’s top tidal energy company in The Guardian/Clean Tech Global 100 Survey and in June 2009 won Renewable Energy Developer of the Year in the UK Renewable Energy Association Annual Awards.

3. The SeaGen turbine is subject to a rigorous monitoring programme imposed under its licensing conditions to ensure it does not threaten the marine life of Strangford Lough where it is located. At present, SeaGen is still only permitted to operate in daylight hours and has to be continuously monitored by an observer on-shore using sonar to see that the marine life, in particular seals and porpoises, are not at risk from the 16m diameter twin rotors which rotate at about 14 rpm.

4. SeaGen is accredited by OFGEM as a UK power station and so is a recipient of Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs).

Client News-Marine Current Turbines awarded £2.7m by Carbon Trust to enhance its SeaGen tidal system

Marine Current Turbines awarded £2.7m by Carbon Trust to enhance its SeaGen tidal system

Marine Current Turbines has secured funding of £2.7million from the Carbon Trust’s Marine Renewables Proving Fund (MRPF) to support the enhancement of SeaGen, the world’s largest and so far only megawatt scale grid-connected tidal current energy system that has been supplying electricity to customers in Northern Ireland since December 2008.

Martin Wright, Managing Director of Marine Current Turbines (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 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.”

Marine Current Turbines aims to deploy its first tidal farm in UK waters during 2012. The company is partnering RWE npower renewables to develop a 10MW tidal farm off Anglesey, and in Canada MCT is working with Minas Bay Pulp & Paper to deploy a single SeaGen device in the Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia during 2011.

Notes to Editors:

Marine Current Turbines Ltd (www.marineturbines.com) is based in Bristol, England. The company was established in 2000 and its principal corporate shareholders include BankInvest, Carbon Trust Investments, ESB International, EDF Energy, Guernsey Electricity and High Tide. The company has a power purchase agreement with Ireland’s ESB Independent Energy for SeaGen’s output.

In September 2009, MCT was ranked the world’s top tidal energy company in The Guardian/Clean Tech Global 100 Survey and in June 2009 won Renewable Energy Developer of the Year in the UK Renewable Energy Association Annual Awards.

Client News-MARINE CURRENT TURBINES REVEALS DETAILS OF SEAGEN’S GENERATING PERFORMANCE

For further information please contact:

Paul Taylor (Taylor Keogh Communications) on +44 (0)20 3170 8465 / +44 (0)7966 782611

MARINE CURRENT TURBINES REVEALS DETAILS OF SEAGEN’S GENERATING PERFORMANCE

Tuesday, November 3^rd 2009

Lisbon, Portugal: Speaking today at the Lisbon International Ocean Power Conference, Peter Fraenkel, Technical Director and co-founder of Marine Current Turbines, the Bristol company that designed and developed SeaGen, the world’s only commercial scale tidal stream turbine, told delegates that SeaGen is running at full power and fully automatically, exactly as planned.

Peter Fraenkel said: “We are delighted with SeaGen’s performance. It is running reliably and delivering more energy than originally expected in an extremely aggressive environment. It should be remembered it is being driven by a wall of water 27m deep, similar to the height of the Tower of London, that surges back and forth with every tide through the Strangford Narrows in Northern Ireland at speeds of up to 10 miles per hour. We are getting more energy than expected mainly because the resource is more energetic than originally predicted during earlier surveys.”

SeaGen has already delivered over 350MWh of power into the Northern Irish electricity grid. The twin generators typically produce an average of 5MWh of electricity during the 6¼ hours of each ebb and each flood tide. This is enough energy to meet the average electricity needs for 1500 UK homes.

The SeaGen turbine, with its twin 16m diameter rotors, is officially accredited by OFGEM as a “UK power station”, the first tidal power system to secure this. It is earning revenue from the sale of the power that is being generated and it also earns ROCs, the Renewable Obligation Certificates that are awarded for clean renewable generation.

Martin Wright, Managing Director of Marine Current Turbines, commented: “We are delighted to have moved on from the initial period of commissioning and testing to demonstrating that this is a practical method of generation that really does do exactly what it says on the label. It is a hugely significant milestone for the company to be selling electricity consistently and earning revenue.”

Although SeaGen has been operational for most of this year, it was not until September that consent was given to operate it without having to have environmental scientists (marine mammal observers) on board and onshore. This was an initial requirement under the licensing arrangements to ensure that SeaGen did not adversely affect the marine mammals that are a protected feature of the local waters and restricted SeaGen’s uninterrupted running. However extensive experience gained so far suggests the seals and porpoises are not at any significant risk and as a result SeaGen is now permitted to operate unattended and by remote control, as was originally intended.

For the time being. an operator onshore will continue to monitor a sonar image of the passing flow which can show up any seal that ventures too close to the rotors, and the operator has the facility to stop the machine. As confidence and the body of evidence grows, it is expected that full running will be permitted in the near future.

Martin Wright added: “Building on our experience in Strangford Lough, the team at MCT are working to deploy tidal turbine arrays in UK and overseas waters, and we are working on new scaled-up developments from SeaGen that promise to generate power at a lower cost. The expectation is that this radical new technology can be developed within five to ten years to make a significant contribution to our future energy needs. Given suitable market incentives, SeaGen demonstrates that marine renewable energy is at the cusp of forming the basis for a new UK industry with considerable world-wide export potential.”

Notes to Editors:

Marine Current Turbines Ltd (www.marineturbines.com) is based in Bristol, England. The company was established in 2000 and its principal corporate shareholders include BankInvest, ESB International, EDF Energy, Guernsey Electricity and Triodos Bank. In September 2009, MCT was ranked the world’s top tidal energy company in The Guardian/Clean Tech Global 100 survey, and in June 2009 won Renewable Energy Developer of the Year in the UK Renewable Energy Association Annual Awards.

For further information:

Marine Current Turbines

Martin Wright, Managing Director

Tel: +44 (0)117 979 1888 / +44 (0)7785 340671

or

Paul Taylor

Taylor Keogh Communications

T: +44 (0) 203 170 8465 / DDI: +44 (0)203 170 8466

M: +44 (0)7966 782611

E: paul@taylorkeogh.com

W: www.taylorkeogh.com

Client News-Martin Wright: Obama’s attitude to energy can revitalize Britain’s renewable energy business

AS POSTED ON THE INDEPENDENT WEBSITE

On Friday, President Obama made a speech at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), challenging Americans to lead the global economy in clean energy. He highlighted the investments in the sector that are creating jobs, and the work of the MIT lab in developing cutting-edge clean energy technology. Clean energy is clearly high on the President’s priority list.

As the Chief Executive of renewable energy company, Marine Current Turbines, I welcome President Obama’s decision to push this important agenda. It is not only the need to reduce our impact on climate change that is the driving force behind this, but the need to find an alternative source of energy to our finite fossil fuel resources that are already starting to dry up. As our global hunger for energy shows no signs of waning, we must find new ways to feed that requirement, and leave something for future generations.

Not only do renewable energy sources reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, they are ushering in a new era of energy independence and which will have profound implications for the way that we view the energy business. Just as the invention of the PC put the power of computing in the hands of people, rather than the few experts who had access to computers, so the future of renewable energy sources will empower the individual, giving people choice about how they source their energy. Investing in renewable energy is not just about an alternative source of supply; it is profoundly democratising and empowers, both individually and locally. Moving away from centralised supply through the national grid, with a small number of powerful suppliers, to more locally sourced energy supplies, will be very liberating for the consumer and provide long term, stable, low cost energy. It is the key to solving energy poverty and to providing a flexible, robust, and long term, low-cost energy system.

In order to achieve the goal of access to green energy for all, we are going to need to see a strong commitment to investment in the technologies which will eventually lead to large-scale production, and therefore make the cost of sustainable energy sources a tempting option for governments. Britain is already a leader in developing some of these technologies, and we have fantastic resources in terms of the scientists and engineers who are innovating and refining them. Investment in these resources will ensure that we capitalise on British talent, and benefit the British economy.

Marine Current Turbines (MCT) is a world leader in marine current and tidal stream energy, and has at last opened the door to the previously unreachable power of the oceans. Our company is one of many developing new technologies and turning these into commercial projects to provide clean and inexhaustible energy. Modern offshore engineering capabilities have made tapping the relentless energy pounding on Britain’s extensive coastline a reality, and innovative engineering will lead to the efficient and effective tapping of many more sources of clean energy.

It is economically and strategically imperative that Britain leads the way in developing this and other sustainable technologies, in order to make sure we don’t lose out on the environmental and economic benefits of being able to provide green energy to our own and other countries. The Kyoto Protocol has been ratified in 178 countries, which will put pressure on governments around the world to reduce their carbon emissions, therefore opening lots of new markets for technologies such as that of Marine Current Turbines.

MCT installed the world’s first offshore tidal turbine near Lynmouth off the coast of Devon in 2003, and in 2008, completed installation of the world’s first commercial-scale tidal turbine in Strangford Narrows in Northern Ireland. This commercial prototype is to be deployed in the UK and internationally. MCT has already struck a deal in Canada and started a project in Nova Scotia with local partners. The green energy industry needs governments to provide the market framework to enable investors to perceive the growth potential of this sector, and help us export our expertise to new markets such as North America. President Obama’s commitment to green energy is a very significant development.

Britain has already made a strong commitment to investment in innovation, and the government is actively looking at how to encourage the scale of investment needed to bring forward technologies such as ours. There is no doubt that if they get this right it will help to boost the British economy and make Britain a world leader in green technology. It is not too strong to say that energy policy is the central issue for the first part of the 21st century, and British innovation in this sector will be pivotal to the UK’s economic and environmental future. All it takes is vision.

Martin Wright is Chief Executive Officer, Marine Current Turbines Ltd, which is supporting the government campaign, Science: [So what? So everything], which shows people the importance of innovation and investment in science, engineering and technology. To find out more, visit www.direct.gov.uk/sciencesowhat.

Client News-Marine Energy prototypes backed with new government 22m proving fund

Wave and tidal developers are invited from today to bid for £22 million in new government funding to accelerate the commercial development of marine energy in the UK.

The Marine Renewables Proving Fund, announced in July as part of the Government’s Renewable Energy Strategy, will be designed and delivered by the Carbon Trust and will provide finance for the demonstration of wave and tidal technologies.

The funding follows demand from industry and analysis by the Carbon Trust which has shown that extra support is needed to take marine devices successfully from initial prototype development through to early–stage commercial generation, where they are eligible for funding from the Marine Renewables Deployment Fund.

Energy and Climate Change Minister, Lord Hunt said:

“Clean green renewable energy is a central component of our response to climate change and ensuring future energy supplies.

“The scope for wave and tidal energy around the UK’s shores is massive and we’re working closely with developers in the UK to bring onthe necessary technologies.

“The Proving Fund will help marine projects get off the drawing board and into the water, taking them a vital step closer to full scale commercial viability.”

Project bids will be assessed and managed by the Carbon Trust which has been supporting the marine sector since 2003. It has assessed or worked with over 60 different marine energy devices and committed over £12m of funding to date.

Earlier this month, the Carbon Trust announced it is to support two leading devices, Pelamis Wave Power and Marine Current Turbines, as part of its existing Marine Energy Accelerator initiative. Support will focus on reducing costs associated with the installation, operations and maintenance of marine energy devices.

Tom Delay, Chief Executive of the Carbon Trust, commented:

“Wave and tidal power is a fantastic resource for the UK that could provide up to 20% of our current electricity demand and cut carbon dioxide by tens of millions of tonnes. There are many exciting technologies in development; however, for these to reach commercial viability we need to focus on cost reduction and make mass deployment a reality. The targeted support provided by the Marine Renewables Proving Fund is a much needed boost to the UK’s clean tech revolution and we are delighted to be playing a key role in its delivery.”

Carbon Trust analysis has shown that, with 25% of the world’s wave technologies already being developed in the UK, Britain could be the ‘natural owner’ of the global wave power market, generating revenues worth £2 billion per year by 2050 and up to 16,000 direct jobs.

To generate maximum economic benefit, the Government intends to publish its Marine Action Plan early next year. This will set out the key steps which will need to be taken by both Government and Industry to make the mass deployment of marine energy technologies a reality.

Industry News-Made in Britain: the world's biggest wind turbine blades

The world’s biggest wind turbine blades will be made in Britain, Energy and Climate Secretary Ed Miliband said today.

Announcing grants for three offshore wind energy companies Mr Miliband today told the TUC annual conference:

“With strong government backing, the UK is consolidating its lead in offshore wind energy. We already have more offshore wind energy than any other country, we have the biggest wind farm in the world about to start construction, and now we’ll see the biggest turbine blades in the world made here in Britain.

“Our coastline means the offshore wind industry has the potential to employ tens of thousands of workers by 2020, manufacturing, transporting, installing and operating new turbines.

“It will take an active government to get us there and the funds I’m announcing today are part of the £120 million investment we
are making this year and next in the wind industry to make that happen.”

The three companies are:

* Clipper Wind Power - £4.4 million to develop their first prototype 70m blade for the Britannia project – the largest wind turbines in the world.

* Artemis Intelligent Power - £1 million to transfer their existing technology from automotive to wind energy.

* Siemens Wind Power UK - £1.1 million to develop the next generation power convertors for their larger offshore turbine.

As a result of their award Clipper will start work on a plant in the North East of England where blades for their giant turbines will be developed. Once constructed, each blade will be more than 70 metres long and weigh over 30 tonnes. The blades are part of the turbines that will stand at 175 meters tall. The plant will initially employ 60 people by the end of next year.

The grants are awarded under phase 1 of the Low Carbon Energy Demonstration (LCED) capital grants scheme. Vestas Technology UK Ltd was the first company to receive an award under the scheme last month. The total amount awarded under phase 1 is £10 million.

James G.P. Dehlsen, Chairman of Clipper Windpower, said:

“With the deployment of the 10MW Clipper offshore turbine in UK waters, the nation will benefit from clean power, and also from the strong economic boost arising from the development and serial production of the turbines in the coming years. DECC’s leadership in initiating and expediting the grant program is timely and will help to accelerate our planning for and delivery of the Britannia project.

We are appreciative of the support and look forward to the opportunity to continue to work closely with DECC.”

Waverley Cameron, Chairman of Artemis Intelligent Power said:

“This kind of targeted support by government enables small R&D companies like Artemis to develop the breakthrough technologies needed to bring Britain to the forefront of the low carbon revolution.”

Taylor Keogh Communications Public Affairs & PR for the Energy Industry

Client News-Carbon Trust backs cutting edge marine energy devices to help accelerate commercial deployment

11 September 2009 -New investment to focus on finding innovative and cost-effective ways to install and maintain large-scale offshore devices

The Carbon Trust is to support two cutting edge marine energy devices in a bid to accelerate the commercial development of wave and tidal energy in the UK. Projects to be supported through the Marine Energy Accelerator with Pelamis Wave Power and Marine Current Turbines will focus on installation and maintenance which currently account for up to 50% of the project costs of wave and tidal energy and could delay more widespread deployment if not reduced.

Reliably moving a 180 metre Pelamis electricity-generating “sea snake” onto a mooring many kilometres offshore is a task that highlights the challenges of making marine energy a commercially viable method of generating renewable energy. The Carbon Trust and Pelamis Wave Power are investigating an innovative remotely operated vehicle (ROV) that will assist with manoeuvring these giant machines into position.

They will also integrate remote control technology into existing systems which will enable deployment in rougher seas. These developments promise to significantly reduce vessel and equipment requirements and make installation and maintenance quicker, cheaper and safer, thereby reducing the overall cost of the energy generated.

Alongside work with Pelamis Wave Power, the Carbon Trust is supporting a project with Marine Current Turbines to develop an innovative way to deploy its pioneering SeaGen tidal energy system. The new method will involve a remotely operated subsea drilling platform which will install foundation piles in advance of the main turbine support structure being deployed in a single unit. This would enable smaller and less expensive support vessels to be used for the offshore works, reducing the costs of turbine installation.

Carbon Trust is providing £250,000 for the Pelamis project and a further £150,000 for a feasibility study on the MCT foundations technology. The MCT technology is likely to be tested in a disused quarry, and if it performs as expected will be used in SeaGen’s next deployment off Anglesey where the company is working with RWE npower renewables to deploy a 10MW tidal farm, using seven SeaGens.

These two projects form part of the wider Carbon Trust’s Marine Energy Accelerator programme, which brings together device developers, component technology manufacturers, engineering consultants and academic research groups to accelerate cost reduction in the industry.

Mark Williamson, Director of Innovations at the Carbon Trust, said:
“Innovation in the deployment and maintenance of wave and tidal devices will be critical in cutting the cost of marine energy and unlocking the potential of this fantastic renewable energy resource. Our analysis shows that the UK is already leading the world in wave energy. If we can bring down the costs of deploying this technology, we will be able to generate marine energy on a scale that will help meet our 2020 renewable target and deliver significant economic value as well."

Energy from wave and tidal power could provide up to 20% of the UK’s current electricity and has the potential to cut carbon dioxide by tens of millions of tonnes. Recent analysis, launched at the start of the Carbon Trust’s Clean Tech Revolution campaign, to make Britain a global hub of low carbon innovation, found that 25% of the world’s wave technologies are already being developed in the UK. The analysis also showed that Britain could be the ‘natural owner’ of the global wave power market, generating revenues worth £2 billion per year by 2050 and up to 16,000 direct jobs.

Beth Dickens of Pelamis Wave Power said:
“This project will allow more machines to be installed more often and more cheaply as we will not be as reliant on good weather conditions and specialist boats for the operation. We have had a successful working relationship with the Carbon Trust for a long time, so they were a natural port of call for help in developing this technology which will help speed the deployment of our wave power devices.”

Martin Wright, Managing Director of Marine Current Turbines, said:
“The Carbon Trust’s support is highly valuable to Marine Current Turbines and will help us to build upon our success with our first SeaGen commercial tidal turbine project in Northern Ireland’s Strangford Lough which is generating power into the local grid.

“Their participation in this project has enabled us to look at how we can install farms of our SeaGen tidal energy systems cheaper and more efficiently in the future. The Carbon Trust’s part-funding of the project underlines the commercial potential that exists for MCT’s pioneering tidal energy technology to be deployed in UK waters as well as overseas.”

Ends

Notes to editors
For more information or an interview please call the Carbon Trust press office on 0207 544 3100.

The Carbon Trust

* The Carbon Trust is an independent company set up in 2001 by Government in response to the threat of climate change, to accelerate the move to a low carbon economy by working with organisations to reduce carbon emissions and develop commercial low carbon technologies.
* We cut carbon emissions now by providing business and the public sector with expert advice, finance and certification to help them reduce their carbon footprint and to stimulate demand for low carbon products and services. Through our work, we’ve already helped save over 17 million tonnes of carbon, delivering costs savings of over £1billion.
* We cut future carbon emissions by developing new low carbon technologies. We do this through project funding and management, investment and collaboration and by identifying market barriers and practical ways to overcome them. Our work on commercialising new technologies will save over 20 million tonnes of carbon a year by 2050.


Marine Current Turbines Ltd

1. Marine Current Turbines Ltd (http://www.marineturbines.com/) is based in Bristol, England. The company was established in 2000 and its principal corporate shareholders include BankInvest, ESB International, EDF Energy, Guernsey Electricity and Triodos Bank. In September 2008, MCT was ranked in The Guardian/Library House Top 10 of European clean-tech firms and in June 2009 won Renewable Energy Developer of the Year in the UK Renewable Energy Association Annual Awards.
2. SeaGen works by generating power from sea currents, using a pair of axial flow turbines driving generators through gearboxes using similar principles to wind generator technology. The main difference is that the high density of seawater compared to wind allows a much smaller system; SeaGen has twin 600kW turbines each of 16m diameter. The capture of kinetic energy from a water current, much like with wind energy or solar energy, depends on how many square meters of flow cross-section can be addressed by the system. With water current turbines it is rotor swept area that dictates energy capture capability, because it is the cross section of flow that is intercepted which matters. SeaGen has over 400 square meters of rotor area which is why it can develop its full rated power of 1.2MW in a flow of 2.4m/s (5 knots).

For further information:
Martin Wright, Managing Director,
T: +44 (0)117 979 1888
or
Paul Taylor, Taylor Keogh Communications
T: +44 (0) 203 170 8465 / DDI: +44 (0)203 170 8466
M: +44 (0)7966 782611
E: paul@taylorkeogh.com
W: http://www.taylorkeogh.com

Client News-Marine Current Turbines ranked world’s No 1 tidal power company by international panel of experts

(Bristol, England) Marine Current Turbines has been ranked as the world’s leading tidal power company in the Cleantech Group’s “Global Cleantech 100” survey, produced in association with the UK’s Carbon Trust and published in The Guardian newspaper.
Click here to read the guardian article

Client News-Marine Current Turbines are selected in the top ten of the Guardian Manchester Report on Clean Energy Technologies

Marine energy

Marine turbines are like underwater windmills than can extract energy from fast-flowing tides or deep ocean currents

A huge amount of energy is stored in, on and above the oceans. Strong sea winds can be exploited with offshore windfarms, while waves can be converted into electricity using articulated snake-like generators. Scientists and engineers are also exploring how to create electricity from the salinity difference between rivers and oceans and the temperature difference between the sea surface and the colder waters below.

One of the most promising marine energy technologies is the tidal turbine, which was advocated in Manchester by Peter Fraenkel of Marine Current Turbines (MCT). These devices act like underwater windmills, with blades that rotate as the tide flows through them. Tidal turbines create large amounts of power in those countries with very fast-flowing tidal streams – such as the UK and Canada – and in the future similar devices could be used to extract energy from deep ocean currents such as the Kuroshio in north-west Pacific.

Compared to wind and solar energy, tidal generation has the advantage of predictability. Being driven by the gravitational pull of the moon and sun, as opposed to the weather, their timing and strength is known in advance to a high level of certainty. A further advantage is the high energy density of the tides. With as much as a thousand tonnes of water passing through a turbine's blades in a single second, a relatively small device can create a relatively large amount of electricity.

Producing devices robust enough to withstand these forces is a formidable engineering challenge, but MCT's flagship device – the SeaGen – has already been proven to work on a commercial scale. Positioned in Strangford Lough, Northern Ireland, the first SeaGen turbine has generated more than 100 megawatt hours of electricity.

Click here for the full article and to see a video of Peter Fraenkel presenting the technology