Tidal energy farm gets the green light

Bord Gáis has partially won the rights to develop the first tidal energy farm to be built off the coast.

Along with project partner OpenHydro, the company will, over the course of the next eight years, develop and build a 100mw tidal energy farm off the Antrim coast.

The project will generate enough power for approximately 75,000 homes across the North.

The firms were awarded the licence for the project by the Crown Estate’s Tidal Venture unit.

“This project is a milestone for the development of tidal resources on the island of Ireland and marks our ongoing commitment to renewable assets,” Bord Gáis Energy managing director Dave Kirwan said.

The tidal deal was just one of three renewable energy deals announced yesterday, with the combined capability to power up to 300,000 homes in the North.

The North is working towards a target of having 40% of its electricity derived from renewable sources by 2020. The Republic has a similar target. While Ireland’s first tidal energy farm is being built off the coast of Antrim, the Government has said the country has a “unique opportunity” to develop green energy.

“Continued dependence on fossil fuels is a dead end. Relying on fossil fuels, into the future, is not only unsustainable, it is highly expensive,” Energy and Natural Resources Minister Pat Rabbitte said at an energy conference in Dublin yesterday. “For this reason, I will continue to champion the business case for Ireland’s continued investment in green energy.”