TIDAL energy onshore plans for a Ventnor site have been given planning permission by the Isle of Wight Council

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Statement from Mark Francis, Project Manager:

We are delighted with the decision last night (8th September 2015) to grant planning permission for the onshore elements of the project. PTEC has gone to great lengths to ensure the substation has a minimal visual impact on the surrounding area, which is why it has been designed with a living roof and will be built from local natural stone and wood.

Our application for the offshore elements of the project is still being considered by the Marine Management Organisation (MMO), however, we have recently proposed to significantly reduce the maximum allowable height of the tidal devices from 18 metres above water to 9 metres. These changes have been accepted by the MMO and we expect the MMO to make an announcement on the consent determination later this year.

Perpetuus Tidal Energy Centre moves a step closer to becoming a world leading multi technology tidal array demonstration facility

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The Local Planning Authority has today given the green light for outline planning for the onshore elements of the Perpetuus Tidal Energy Centre (PTEC).

A planning application was submitted to the Isle of Wight Council in November last year for a substation and associated infrastructure in Ventnor. The planning committee has today, 9th June 2015, passed outline plans for it to be built on existing development land close to Flowers Brook.

This is the first phase of the project; an application for the offshore elements is being considered by the Marine Management Organisation (MMO), and PTEC will now work to achieve full planning from the Local Planning Authority

Project Manager Mark Francis said, “We are delighted with today’s decision. We are really excited by this project and the potential it has to benefit not just the Island and its residents, but the UK more widely. We are working closely with the Marine Management Organisation and we expect a decision later this year. We hope to have the site operational by 2018.”

The total electrical output from the site is expected to be around 65,000 MWh per year which will provide enough clean electricity to power the equivalent of over a quarter of Isle of Wight homes. PTEC will also be investing in grid upgrades for the Island, which will help enable the development of other renewable energy projects on the Isle of Wight.

David Cameron confirms support for Perpetuus Tidal Energy Centre (PTEC)

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In Prime Minister’s Questions today Mr Andrew Turner, MP for the Isle of Wight, asked if David Cameron would join him in supporting the Perpetuus Tidal Energy Centre,  a public / private partnership. Mr Turner explained the centre, based on the Isle of Wight, will provide the world’s leading grid connected tidal array test facility, placing the UK at the forefront of tidal energy technology, protecting existing jobs and creating several hundred new ones.

The Prime Minister confirmed the UK is now the most attractive market in the world for investment in offshore wind and in marine renewables. He stated, “We want to maintain that world leading position. We want to harness the economic benefits and the environmental benefits that brings and we want to see local centres of expertise and from what I can see the Perpetuus Tidal Energy Centre sounds like exactly the sort of exciting initiative that we should be supporting.”

 

Perpetuus Tidal Energy Centre (PTEC) has submitted a consent application for a tidal farm to the south of the Isle of Wight

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PTEC has applied to the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) and Isle of Wight Council (as Local Planning Authority) for permission to construct and operate a tidal energy demonstration site off St Catherine’s Point to the south of the Isle of Wight. If consent is granted, PTEC will be the first of its kind in the world.

The electricity will be generated from tidal currents in the sea south of the Isle of Wight, supplying the Island with clean, renewable energy.

Mark Francis, Project Manager for PTEC said, “We are really excited by this project and the potential it has to benefit not just the Island and its residents, but the UK more widely.

“It will be the first of its kind anywhere in the world, reinforcing the UK’s reputation as world-leaders in the wave and tidal industry.

“We have already undertaken a comprehensive programme of engagement with regulators, the local community and other stakeholders, and will continue to work closely with them as the project progresses. We look forward to working with the MMO and Local Planning Authority during the consent determination process, which is due to end in 2015.”

The total electrical output from the site is expected to be over 50,000 MWh per year.

PTEC’s consenting works, including the environmental impact assessment (EIA), were led by Royal HaskoningDHV, an engineering consultancy firm, due to its track-record of successful EIAs, and its reputation for consent delivery for projects in the marine environment. Royal HaskoningDHV also managed the Front End Engineering Design (FEED) for PTEC’s offshore and onshore works.

If the submission for consent is successful, then construction could start in late 2016, creating hundreds of jobs.