Welsh Government has given its consent to the Anglesey tidal stream energy project Morlais.
Expected to create over 100 jobs within a decade, the £35m scheme would see a development covering up to 35sqkm of seabed to generate as much as 240MW of electricity (180,000 households) via the power of the tides in the Irish Sea.
Menter Môn, who are behind the project, secured permission from the Crown Estate to establish the “demonstration zone” while inviting bids from developers for a commercial lease.
It was then subject to a planning inquiry, which started at the end of last year.
Now a letter of consent has been received from Julie James, Welsh Government Minister for Climate Change.
This is the first part of the consenting process, which means construction can now begin on land in preparation for work offshore.
Following approval by Welsh Government, a decision is now expected by Natural Resources Wales with regards to granting Morlais a Marine Licence which will allow turbines to be deployed in the sea.
If granted, Morlais will work with its partners and tidal technology developers, to install devices to generate clean electricity.
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Once all the necessary consents are in place, construction and operation will happen in phases to enable monitoring of impact on wildlife and habitat.
Work on land is expected to begin early next year, with work offshore to start in 2023.
Gerallt Llewelyn Jones, a director with Morlais, said: “We are delighted to have secured consent from Welsh Government to deliver Morlais. The decision today comes after many years of hard work and consultation, we’re now looking forward to moving to the next phase and to ensuring it can become a reality.
“From day one our aim has been to make sure that this project brings local economic benefits in terms of jobs, training and supply chain opportunites. Morlais is owned and run locally - this means we will ensure those benefits come right back into our local communities.”
Dafydd Gruffydd, managing director of Menter Môn, added: “Morlais is an important project for us here on the island as well as the wider north Wales region.
"Not only will it secure long-term quality jobs and help develop local supply chains but it can also deliver training opportunities for our young people right here on their door step.
“The potential of Morlais isn’t just economic though - and we have become very aware of our impact on the planet. Both Westminster and Welsh governments have made it clear that carbon reduction is a priority. Tidal energy is low carbon, clean and reliable – our aim through Morlais is to play our part in tackling climate change and ensuring we leave a legacy that we’re proud of.”
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The project has secured the support of the Wales European Funding Office (WEFO), The Isle of Anglesey County Council, the North Wales Growth Deal, as well as The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.
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