Tidal Power in Scotland
The Technology of Tidal power
The technology of Tidal power in Scotland is developing at a phenomenal rate. A new report from the London School of Economics states that Scotland has more installed capacity from tidal stream renewable energy than the rest of the world combined. The report also indicates that this is also true for tidal capacity that is currently under development in Scotland. Some 10.1 MegaWatts (MW) of tidal stream energy being produced at the moment in Scotland.
The MeyGen Tidal Stream Project
There are four major producers of tidal stream energy in Scotland including MeyGen which operates in the Pentland Firth. A turbine for the MeyGen tidal stream project in the Pentland Firth was previously unveiled outside Inverness in the Scottish Highlands. This turbine, measures around 15 metres tall (49ft). It has blades of 16 metres in diameter. With the turbine itself weighing in at almost 200 tons. It is currently placed at a project site in the waters off the north coast of Scotland between Caithness and Orkney. The turbine is one of four to be installed underwater. Each of the turbines has a capacity of 1.5 megawatts (MW), Tidal power in Scotland will be vital part of the country’s energy resource and economy in the future as it is expected to produce increasing amounts of tidal energy.