A reader in Wales has drawn attention to the official opening of Wales’s first tidal stream energy site which took place on Friday October 20th, 2023
The First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford, officially opened the substation linked to Morlais tidal energy on Anglesey. The culmination of more than ten years’ work marks not only a significant milestone for the project itself, but for the tidal energy sector in Wales.
Morlais, Wales’s first tidal stream energy site, is funded by the European Regional Development fund through the Welsh Government. The Isle of Anglesey County Council, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and North Wales Growth Deal have also supported the project.
The first tidal energy devices are expected to be deployed at sea in 2026. Once operational the site has potential to generate up to 240MW of low carbon electricity.
Morlais, off the west coast of Holy Island is the largest consented tidal energy scheme in the UK. The project is located on a greenfield site some distance from these cliffs. It is managed by Anglesey-based social enterprise, Menter Môn, who secured the Crown Estate lease for the 35KM2 zone of seabed in 2014. Since then, and having secured consent in 2021, work has been ongoing to put onshore infrastructure in place.
Menter Môn was established in 1995 to carry out the rural development programs of the European Union
It is a third sector company with a board of directors made up of representatives from the private, voluntary and community sectors. The company’s main aim is to facilitate rural economic regeneration in Anglesey
Morlais’s operation the only one of its kind in the world. Infrastructure has been installed to enable tidal energy technology developers to install their devices at sea and a connection to the national grid and a substation on the shore near South Stack and Parc Cybi. The site was developed step by step and devices will be phased into the water to ensure that marine wildlife is not harmed.
Rather than producing electricity itself, Morlais will provide developers of tidal energy devices with the consent and infrastructure they need to supply electricity to the grid. Five developers have already agreed connection within the scheme and discussions with an additional five are at an advanced stage. Read about interested companies here.
The First Minister said: “Morlais is a groundbreaking project and a key part of our transition to a low carbon economy. It is an example of the type of development that will help Wales to reach our net zero targets and underlines the importance of investing in clean energy infrastructure for our future generations.” A video records the quarterly progress made (2022-2023).
Significant local and regional economic benefits: creating jobs, enhancing skills and supply chain opportunities
Councillor Llinos Medi (left), Leader of the Isle of Anglesey County Council, Portfolio Holder Economic Development and Lead Member for the Low Carbon Energy Programme on the North Wales Ambition Board said: “The County Council has been supportive of the Morlais project from its inception. The project, once operational, will ensure that the island leads the way in terms of tidal energy contributing to national net zero targets. It will also continue to provide significant local and regional economic benefits by creating jobs, enhancing skills and supply chain opportunities”.
In line with the Menter Môn commitment to secure benefit to the north Wales economy, Ruthin-based Jones Bros Civil Engineering has been responsible for the construction of the substation officially opened by the First Minister. Working with other local companies, they also undertook the cabling work, connecting the scheme to the national grid.
The Morlais project will be re-investing profits into those local communities that are accommodating the development.
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Future Generations & Climate change 
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