ScottishPower Renewables today confirmed they are evaluating three separate coastal sites for the development of the world's largest tidal stream projects.

Two of the sites are being planned in Scotland, in the Pentland Firth and the Sound of Islay, with the third off the North Antrim coast in Northern Ireland.

ScottishPower expects planning applications to be submitted to the Scottish Government and Northern Irish Assembly in summer 2009.

Each site is being evaluated with a view of installing between 5 and 20 tidal turbines. With each turbine having an installed capacity of IMW, this could lead to a combined output of 60MW – enough green energy for over 40,000 homes. Following planning approval, the projects could be operational by 2011.

All three projects are expected to deploy the Lànstrøm tidal turbine developed by Hammerfest Strøm AS, a company jointly owned by ScottishPower Renewables, StatoilHydro and Hammerfest Energi. The device’s name reflects the Norwegian and Scottish collaboration - being a combination of the Gaelic 'làn' meaning 'full' and the Norwegian 'strøm' meaning 'tide'.

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Keith Anderson, Director of ScottishPower Renewables, said: "This is a historic day for the development of marine energy. The rapid technological advancement of tidal power has enabled us to progress plans for this substantial project which has the real potential to deliver significant environmental and economic benefits.

"Tidal power is completely renewable, being driven by the gravity of the sun and moon, with no carbon dioxide emissions, whilst being entirely predictable in nature. Scotland has the best tidal resources in Europe with the Pentland Firth alone containing enough tidal energy to meet a third of Scotland’s power requirements."

First Minister Alex Salmond said the focus is now on the opportunities to be found beyond the Scottish shoreline: "Caithness, and the waters churning off the nearby coast from the Pentland Firth to the islands of Orkney, stand as a powerful symbol of that renewable energy potential. Scotland has a marine energy resource which is unrivalled in Europe - we have an estimated 25% of Europe's tidal resource and 10% of its wave potential.

"That is why today's announcement from ScottishPower that they are to establish a new tidal energy company in Scotland is so significant. Hammerfest UK, has been established in Scotland with a view to maximising manufacturing and export opportunities here."

(GK/NS)