Two sites in the Gulf of Morbihan in the French region of Brittany have been selected for further analysis in regards to potential tidal energy development in the area.
The team from Ocean Geosciences Laboratory at the University of Southern Brittany is conducting an environmental and socio-economic assessment at two sites in the Gulf of Morbihan located south of Long Island and south of Berder Island.
The project aims to identify the initial state of the sites and their environment, and potential impacts the implementation of tidal stream project could have on the area.
Also, the study will seek the views of stakeholders and the population in the area of Gulf of Morbihan regarding the potential establishment of tidal energy project.
Earlier study from 2015 has confirmed the potential for annual electricity production from tides to be around 40GWh in the area, corresponding to nearly 10% of the needs of the 130,000 inhabitants residing in the 26 municipalities bordering the Gulf.
The project is funded by the Syndicat des Energies du Morbihan, and the first results are expected to be delivered in the first half of 2018, according to the French newspaper Le Télégramme.