MeyGen Prepares Decommissioning Programme

Under Section 105 to 114 of the UK’s Energy Act 2004, the responsible parties of offshore wind and marine energy installations are required to submit and eventually carry out a decommissioning programme.

Accordingly, MeyGen Ltd. has submitted a document that constitutes the MeyGen Tidal Energy Project Phase 1 Decommissioning Programme to the Department of Energy & Climate Change (DECC) for approval.

The company is now carrying out a 30 day consultation as part of the Decommissioning Programme for Phase 1 (86MW) of the MeyGen Tidal Energy Project. The consultation period will end on 29th December 2014.

In order that legitimate marine users are not significantly impacted by the decommissioning activities, MeyGen started an early and comprehensive consultation process.

The MeyGen Tidal Energy Project Phase 1 has an aggregated capacity of 86MW. Given the nascent status of the tidal stream energy industry the project will be installed in stages. The initial Phase 1a (6MW), to be constructed in 2015/16, will consist of:

• 4 x 1.5MW turbines (complete removal);
• 4 x gravity base turbine support structures (complete removal); and
• 4 x turbine submarine cables (partial removal).

Costs and details of financial security arrangements for Phase 1a are provided by MeyGen Ltd. in confidential appendices to DECC. Before subsequent stages are constructed the DecommissioningProgramme will be reviewed and costs and financial securities provided for that stage.

After more than seven years of planning and design, the MeyGen tidal energy project is entering the construction phase for the first 6MW tranche of capacity in what is believed to be the world’s largest planned tidal stream project.

Source: Atlantis Resources Ltd (Illustration)