A full-scale tidal power generator aimed at showing the potential for renewable energy has been unveiled in Pembrokeshire. The underwater turbine in Ramsey Sound will run for a 12-month trial, with its energy powering homes in St Davids. First Minister Carwyn Jones hailed it as a landmark project, creating jobs and helping meet green energy targets.
Cardiff-based developers Tidal Energy Ltd hope it will support the case for a larger scheme involving nine turbines. The 150-tonne demonstration device with a frame as high as a seven-storey building has been built in Pembroke Dock by Mustang Marine, recently saved from administration. It will generate energy from tidal currents on the sea bed. Tidal Energy Ltd claims the patented DeltaStream device will be Wales’ first grid-connected freestanding tidal turbine. Managing director Martin Murphy said the unveiling of the generator was a significant milestone, marking "the birth of the tidal industry in Wales".