Orkney Islands Council has invited interested parties to pre-qualify for a competition to obtain a concession for the installation of tidal energy technology across two sites at Churchill Barriers.
Pre-qualified developers will compete to design, build, operate and finance a tidal energy generation scheme at Churchill Barriers No. 1 and/or No.2.
The idealised mean power with both barriers fully open is estimated at 16.7MW at the first barrier, and 8.6MW at the second barrier.
The scheme must allow for maintaining of the road transport link across the barriers at all times and reducing the existing wave overtopping risk at Barrier No.2.
In October 2015 , the council issued a notice to establish if there was any developer interest in developing the potential tidal energy generation scheme at Churchill Barriers.