- Orbital Marine Power gets a contract from Crown Estate Scotland for a 30MW tidal energy project.
- The Westray project is expected to create hundreds of jobs.
Renewable energy firm Orbital Marine Power has been awarded an Option Agreement from Crown Estate Scotland for a 30MW tidal energy project in the Westray Firth, Orkney.
The company has a grid connection in place to service the project, located next to the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC), where it already operates the 2MW O2, the “world’s most powerful” tidal turbine.
Orbital plans to install three more tidal turbines at EMEC following Contracts for Difference awarded last year.
The Westray project is expected to result in over £120 million of domestic supply chain spend and create hundreds of jobs.
Orbital Marine Power Chief Executive Officer Andrew Scott expressed his confidence in tidal energy projects to provide secure and renewable energy.
Sian Wilson, from Crown Estate Scotland, considers the project an opportunity to tap into the vast tidal energy resource in Orkney Waters and help transition towards a decarbonised energy system.