The HS1000 computer rendering.

Hammerfest Strøm UK, the subsidiary of the Norwegian tidal power developer Hammerfest Strøm AS, announced it has received GBP 3.9 million as a grant from the Carbon Trust for the construction and development of a 1 MW tidal power device at the testing facility in Orkney, Scotland. The device will be test at the European Marine Energy Center (EMEC). The HS1000 is expected to be fully operational by 2011.

Design and pre-engineering has been completed and is now tendering the fabrication and installation of the device. After the planned test period, the company is to collaborate with ScottishPower Renewables on developing a 10 MW power plant based on the HS1000, to be located in the Sound of Islay, and completed by 2012. This will then become the largest demo tidal power project in the world, putting ScottishPower Renewables in the lead for global tidal power development.

[source: ScottishPower Renewables, image: Hammerfest Strøm]