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The site, off the coast of Holy Island in Anglesey, will host tidal turbines developed by Scottish firm Nova Innovation and French firm Sabella.
Each company aims to provide 6MW of capacity for the project, providing a total of 12MW from the 0.65km2 site. Both turbines will sit on the seabed, and will be completely submerged.
In total, the Morlais tidal energy zone covers an area of 35km2, with a potential total capacity of 240MW. The site was awarded consents for development from the Welsh government in December 2021 and Natural Resources Wales granted a marine licence that will allow the installation of tidal turbines. Construction and operation of the project will take place in phases, allowing for environmental monitoring of wildlife and habitat.
Sabella and Nova have started surveys of the area, and hope to install their first turbines in 2023 or 2024. They aim to build on the project by developing other tidal energy sites in the UK and France.
“I welcome the news of Nova Innovation and Sabella’s plans for expansion through the Morlais project, and that it will bring highly-skilled jobs to North Wales,” said Julie James, climate change minister for the Welsh government.
“There is an abundance of marine resources in Wales, which we need to harness in a sustainable way if we are to move towards a low-carbon economy.
“We have invested heavily in a range of projects, with EU support, both in the marine energy sector and in low-carbon developments that can make an important contribution to our renewable energy targets.”
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