Tidal turbine project 'could power half of Scotland'
Tides in the Pentland Firth could provide enough power for almost half of Scotland's electricity needs, according to UK researchers.
Engineers from Oxford and Edinburgh universities say turbines placed in the stretch of water, which lies between Orkney and the Scottish mainland, could generate 1.9GW of clean energy per year.
The firth has some of the fastest tidal currents in the UK.
Turbines would need to be located across the entire width of the channel to fully exploit its potential, the researchers said.
Project leader Professor Guy Houlsby, from the University of Oxford's Department of Engineering Science, commented: "The UK enjoys potentially some of the best tidal resources worldwide, and if we exploit them wisely they could make an important contribution to our energy supply.
"These studies should move us closer towards the successful exploitation of the tides."
