A TOTAL of four turbine developers linked to the Anglesey tidal energy project, Morlais, have been awarded Contracts for Difference (CfD) as part of the UK Government’s latest renewable energy auction, AR5.

The contracts give revenue security to the developers for the electricity they generate as part of the scheme.

Morlais has welcomed the news as a significant milestone and an endorsement for the project at a crucial time in its development, with the work on the landfall substation near South Stack nearing completion.

Three of the developers secured contracts for the first time, whilst Magallanes have secured a 3MW extension to their award under the previous, AR4, auction.

The award means that developers in the Morlais zone have now secured a total of 28MW capacity which is enough electricity to power all of Anglesey’s domestic properties.

Gerallt Llewelyn Jones, a director with Morlais, said: “This is great news for us at Morlais and to the tidal energy sector in Wales.

“It is a major step forward and paves the way for commercial deployment of tidal stream technology in Wales.

“By working with the developers we now have the potential to attract over £50 million of investment to the area and create significant local job opportunities, this has always been central to our plans for the project.”

The news means that the four developers are now in a strong position to work with the supply chain in Wales as they prepare to deploy their technology off the coast of Holy Island.

Richard Parkinson, managing director of HydroWing, added: “The successful AR5 application is the culmination of a huge effort from our team to develop a more efficient and cost-effective tidal energy solution for Morlais.

“We look forward to working closely with Menter Môn and with our supply chain partners in Anglesey to deliver our first 10MW of clean and predictable power to the Anglesey grid.”

Morlais is the largest consented tidal energy development in the UK. Once built, it has the potential to generate up to 240MW of clean low carbon electricity.

Menter Môn won the Crown Estate lease to manage the 35km² zone in 2014.

In line with the consent granted for the scheme, construction and operation will happen in phases to enable monitoring of impact on wildlife and habitat and Morlais will work closely with Natural Resources Wales in this respect.

The project is funded by the European Regional Development fund through Welsh Government, Isle of Anglesey County Council, North Wales Growth Deal, and The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.