Reaffirmed backing for commercial wave farm 10/12/12
The first commercial scale wave farm for Scotland is being backed by Scottish Natural Heritage after a second year of environmental surveys.
The Comhairle has reaffirmed its support wants Marine Scotland, which will decide on planning permission, to imposed several conditions to monitoring impacts on birds, marine mammals and basking sharks.
The proposed huge 40 MW wave farm would create green electricity out of the rolling Atlantic waves off the west coast of Lewis.
Construction could start next summer and continue to 2017 when up to 50 wave machines would be installed just 700 metres off the coast at Fivepenny, Borve.
Marine energy developer Aquamarine Power has set up a subsidiary company called Lewis Wave Power Limited to run the project.
The company was awarded a seabed lease in May 2011 for the scheme which could power 38,000 homes.
The sea area is important for threatened red throated divers but Scottish National Heritage believes it would not significantly harm the birds.
The Western Isles Fishermen’s Association (WIFA) previously warned that the wave
farm risks reduced earnings for small-
Fishermen seek safe navigation channels through the wavefarm to prevent small boats from being forced to steam long distances around the scheme to open water.
The scheme is a competitor in the Scottish Government's Saltire Prize, a £10 million global competition for the best wave or tidal technology.
Aquamarine Power says the development promises a great economic boost for the islands as it intends to hire local workers and businesses. It points out a much smaller test project ploughed £3 million into Orkney.
For the Hebrides, it says the benefit could be massive especially if the Arnish yard provides a competitive price to undertake the manufacturing of the energy devices.
It would also require seamen and crew for work boats and guard vessels. Local boats and dive teams would be needed during offshore construction.
The action of the waves force the marine generators to pump water into a turbine station on land which combined with road and civil engineering works would seek a local workforce for the first years of construction.
The wave power firm said it will purchase any required item that is easily sourced locally and of competitive value including services and supplies of hardware and chandlery.