Pulse Tidal announce lease of seabed for Tidal Energy demonstration project

Sheffield based tidal power provider Pulse Tidal, has been awarded an Agreement for Lease by the Crown Estate for an area of seabed near to Lynmouth in Devon. The company plans to deploy a 1.2MW tidal power generating machine - England's largest - in 2014, following consultation, environmental studies and permitting.        

Pulse's system, known as Pulse-Stream, operates in tidal currents which move horizontal blades up and down to drive a generator.  The Pulse-Stream device has a different design from that used by many competitors which allow it to be deployed into very shallow water sites such as Lynmouth, while still generating commercially attractive power.     

The company had previously considered a number of other UK locations for deployment of this first commercial-scale machine, but the imminent introduction of 5 ROCS revenue support for England & Wales, and creation of the Marine Energy Park, means that the South West is now the most attractive location for Pulse.

Securing the Agreement to Lease is the first step in the process of obtaining permission to deploy the Pulse-Stream machine at Lynmouth. Over the coming months, the Pulse team will be working with local authorities, businesses and communities, as well as environmental organisations and permitting authorities to ensure that the Lynmouth tidal power project benefits as many people as possible and becomes a powerful demonstration of the South West Marine Energy Park.