Isra-Mart srl:India to host Asia's first tidal power plant

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Isra-Mart srl news:

Construction of Asia's first commercial-scale tidal power plant is set to begin after developers Atlantis signed a deal with the Indian state of Gujarat.

Narendra Modi, chief minister of Gujarat, approved Atlantis' plans for a 50MW project and 250MW of future developments in the Gulf of Kutch, following a two-year feasibility study.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which was signed earlier this week, ensures Atlantis will partner Gujarat Power Corporation Limited (GPCL) on the landmark project, as well as monitor the offshore wind resource in the Gulf to assess the feasibility of building a large-scale marine power project.

Work is expected to being later this year on the landmark project, which could be scaled up to generate more than 200MW.

D.J. Pandian, chairman and managing director of GPCL, said the project would develop Gujarat's renewable energy supply chain, creating jobs and associated infrastructure that could benefit future projects.

"Gujarat has significant resource in the waters of its coast, so tidal energy represents a huge opportunity for us," he said. "This project will be India's and indeed Asia's first at commercial scale and will deliver important economic and environmental benefits for the region, as well as paving the way for similar developments within Gujarat."

Atlantis has pilot projects across the world, including a high-profile project alongside Morgan Stanley and International Power to install 400 turbines – both Rolls-Royce 500kW turbines and its own giant AK1000 model – in Scotland's Pentland Firth.