Perpetuus Centre Step Closer to Reality

The Local Planning Authority has today given the green light for outline planning for the onshore elements of the Perpetuus Tidal Energy Centre (PTEC).

A planning application was submitted to the Isle of Wight Council in November last year for a substation and associated infrastructure in Ventnor. The planning committee has today, 9th June 2015, passed outline plans for it to be built on existing development land close to Flowers Brook.

This is the first phase of the project; an application for the offshore elements is being considered by the Marine Management Organisation (MMO), and PTEC will now work to achieve full planning from the Local Planning Authority.

Project Manager Mark Francis said, “We are delighted with today’s decision. We are really excited by this project and the potential it has to benefit not just the Island and its residents, but the UK more widely. We are working closely with the Marine Management Organisation and we expect a decision later this year. We hope to have the site operational by 2018.”

The total electrical output from the site is expected to be around 65,000 MWh per year which will provide enough clean electricity to power the equivalent of over a quarter of Isle of Wight homes. PTEC will also be investing in grid upgrades for the Island, which will help enable the development of other renewable energy projects on the Isle of Wight.