Development of a wave energy project at Siadar (Shader) on Isle of Lewis, which was planned jointly between RWE npower renewables and Voith Hydro Wavegen, has been cancelled.
This happened because of lack of funding and uncertainty surrounding the subsea cable across the Minch, the Stornoway Gazette news site informs.
The 20MW project was planned to consist of a wave power station built into a new breakwater and to harness the power from the Atlantic waves. It would have been capable of producing between 3 and 4 megawatts of electricity.
Each year the scheme would have generated enough clean electricity to meet the average annual needs of around 1500 homes.
“The news is obviously highly disappointing. The delays in the interconnector and high transmission charges have not helped and are a continued obstruction to renewable energy developments in the Islands. The Comhairle will be relaying concerns on these matters to Government. We’ll also be talking to the company to see if there are any ways to re-instate the project,” a spokesperson for Comhairle nan Eilean is quoted by the Stornoway Gazette as saying.
[mappress]
Offshore WIND Staff, December 21, 2012; Image: wavegen