EMEC - The European Marine Energy Centre

The project to create the UK's first grid connected tidal turbine will take a significant step forward later this week with the arrival in Orkney of a specialised offshore construction vessel.

The jack-up barge will be used to install the seabed mounted structure that will support the turbine in fast flowing tidal currents at the Fall of Warness off the island of Eday.

Developed over the past decade by Dublin-based OpenHydro, the turbine will generate electricity for the National Grid while undergoing a comprehensive test programme at EMEC's new Eday-based marine laboratory.

Called Octopus, the barge is being towed to Orkney from France for the construction phase of the project.

The 30-metre vessel has four legs that stand 26 metres above its deck while the barge is under tow.

Once in position at the Fall of Warness, the legs will be lowered on to the seabed, lifting the barge out of the water to form a stable platform.

A three-legged frame assembled on Kirkwall Pier will then be lowered to the seabed using a 110-tonne crane standing on the platform.

The frame will be used to guide the precision drilling operation that forms the next phase of the project.

Neil Kermode, EMEC's managing director, said: "This is a project that is both exciting and technically extremely challenging.

"The aim is to generate electricity for the grid by harnessing the power of the tides that flow around our shores.

"In many ways this is a step into the unknown, but a huge effort in terms of planning and preparation has gone into ensuring the success of the project."

The turbine is currently being shipped to Orkney from OpenHydro's manufacturing base in Florida.

James Ives, OpenHydro's chief executive, said: "The turbine is one of the first tidal technologies in the world to reach the stage of permanent deployment at sea and is the accumulation of 10 years of design and development work.

"It will be the first grid connected tidal turbine in the UK and we are looking forward to starting the testing programme later this year."

The company's main contractor, McLaughlin & Harvey, is being supported by a number of Orkney-based businesses, including Currie Brothers and Aquatera.