Engineering news
Enough renewable energy to power around half of Scotland could be harnessed from the tides in a single stretch of water off the north coast of the country, research has suggested.
Some 1.9GW of energy could be generated by turbines placed in the Pentland Firth between mainland Scotland and Orkney, engineers from Oxford and Edinburgh Universities have estimated. The study narrows down earlier estimates that the Firth could produce anywhere between 1GW and 18GW of power.
The Pentland Firth has some of the fastest tidal currents in the British Isles, making it a prime candidate for developing marine power schemes.
The researchers calculated as much as 4.2GW could be harnessed, but because tidal turbines are not 100% efficient the estimate of 1.9GW was a more realistic target.
To fully exploit the potential of the tidal stream in the firth, turbines would need to be located across the entire width of the channel, the researchers said. They have outlined locations where turbines should be positioned to boost the area's energy producing potential.
Sites which minimise the impacts on sea life and shipping have been identified by the UK Crown Estate, which will lease them to tidal energy firms.
Professor Alistair Borthwick, of the school of engineering at the University of Edinburgh, said: "Our research builds on earlier studies by analysing the interactions between turbines and the tides more closely.
"This is a more accurate approach than was used in the early days of tidal stream power assessment, and should be useful in calculating how much power might realistically be recoverable from the Pentland Firth."
Professor Guy Houlsby, of the Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, who led the study, said: "The UK enjoys potentially some of the best tidal resources worldwide, and if we exploit them wisely they could make an important contribution to our energy supply.
"These studies should move us closer towards the successful exploitation of the tides."
Meanwhile, a report from trade association Scottish Renewables has found that renewable energy companies in Scotland require more engineers to “fulfil their future ambitions”.
More than a third of the 540 companies surveyed said they were in need of more graduate level engineers, around 30% said they needed technician engineers, and 93 (27.8%) said they needed more instrumentation and construction engineers.
Joss Blamire, senior policy manager for Scottish Renewables, said: “The message coming from renewable energy companies is loud and clear; they need more engineers to bring their skills and training experience into the sector.”
“At a time when companies are looking to expand its concerning that engineering featured in the top three skills shortages in the renewable energy sector in Scotland. In order for the renewables sector to continue to flourish we need to ensure that the right mechanisms are in place to allow Scotland to meet this growing demand for skilled engineers.”