A tidal stream turbine has broken the world record for generating renewable energy, it was claimed yesterday.

Enough electricity for about 1,000 homes was produced by SeaGen at the mouth of Strangford Lough, Co Down, in Northern Ireland.

It works like an underwater windmill and is driven by fierce currents around the bottleneck.

Martin Wright, managing director of developer Marine Current Turbines (MCT), said: "This is the highest power so far produced by a tidal stream system anywhere in the world and exceeds the previous highest output.

"Generating at full power is an important milestone for the company and in particular our in-house engineering team.

"We are very pleased with SeaGen's performance during commissioning. It demonstrates, for the first time, the commercial potential of tidal energy as a viable alternative source of renewable energy."

SeaGen was placed in the lough in May this year and has been undergoing trials since then. It has reached its maximum capacity of 1.2 megawatts.

It will be active for up to 22 hours a day.

Power is being purchased by Irish energy company ESB Independent for customers in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

There are plans to produce up to 15 megawatts of energy at a similar project in Canada. Scotland also has a tidal wave test site.

Mr Wright added: "SeaGen is now running exactly as we said it would, but testing will continue to be carried out, not only to check SeaGen's performance over extended periods of operation but also to evaluate how components are standing up to the harsh conditions and to determine how the design might be improved.

"This work is vital for SeaGen's long-term commercial deployment in projects elsewhere in the UK and overseas."

MCT hopes to build another tidal farm off the coast of Anglesey, north Wales. It is considering schemes in other parts of the UK, Ireland and north America.

SeaGen began supplying a small amount of electricity to the National Grid in July this year. It sits 400m offshore between Strangford and Portaferry.

Belfast Telegraph