PLANS to install a tidal stream energy generator in the Humber estuary are proceeding, according to the company responsible for the project.
Pulse Tidal, based in Sheffield, hopes the generator will become the first marine renewable energy device to feed power in the national grid.
The system has been tested successfully at Hull University and will use high-performance hydrofoils which
move up and down like whale fins.
It will connect to the UK grid through Millennium Inorganic Chemicals on the Humber's south bank – the first time a British company will be able to take a direct feed from tidal power.
A Pulse spokesman said that unlike other planned tidal devices, the generator can operate in shallow waters of estuaries where tides tend to be the strongest, which will allow the system to deliver low cost power close to areas of high demand.
A team of private sector investors have backed the project, including Marubeni, the Japanese trading giant, which pumped in £580,000 earlier this year; the Normanton-based Viking Fund, which provides venture capital for early-stage technology companies; and Life IC, the Sheffield-based business accelerator devoted to new and renewable energy sources.
The Government has also backed Pulse with a "major" public grant.
Nick Emmerson, a partner in Eversheds corporate group in Leeds and an adviser to Life IC, said companies like Life IC can provide a more professional funding element, adding: "They know the market really well."
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