A UK-based consortium led by Rolls-Royce, which will install and test a tidal turbine, has been chosen as one of the first four projects to be launched by the Energy Technologies Institute. The project, which includes companies such as Tidal Generation Limited, Garrad Hassan, the University of Edinburgh, EDF Energy, E.ON, Plymouth Marine Laboratories and the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC), aims to install and test a 1MW tidal turbine at the EMEC in Orkney, delivering detailed environmental and performance information.

The four projects, three covering offshore wind turbine technology and one a tidal turbine, brought together by the ETI, and aimed at supporting the achievement of the UK’s challenging targets for the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, were given the go ahead yesterday (13th January) and will be funded to the tune of £20 million.

The funding for the projects comes from the six current private sector partners –BP, Caterpillar, EDF Energy, E.ON, Rolls-Royce and Shell.  The ETI’s public funds are received from the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) through the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) with additional funding from the Department for Transport.

Lord Hunt, UK Minister for Sustainable Development and Energy Innovation, said: "Today’s announcement is a key milestone for the Energy Technologies Institute. The UK has pledged to increase dramatically our use of renewable energy to further secure our energy supplies and help fight the damaging effects of climate change.

"In order to meet these challenges we need to turn the best innovative ideas in wind and marine power in to reality. The Energy Technologies Institute is an excellent example of government working with the private sector to achieve a quantum leap forward in these vital low-carbon technologies."