| Tidal current technology developer
Marine Current Turbines (MCT) has released an independent report
demonstrating that its flagship SeaGen generator, located in
Northern Ireland's Strangford Lough, has had no major impact
on marine life.
The report,
undertaken by environmental consultancy Royal Haskoning and
featuring contributions from independent scientists and conservationists,
concluded that no major impacts on the local environment have
been detected following a 6-year monitoring programme that
straddled the installation of the SeaGen
device.
It also found that there have been "no changes in abundance
of either seals or porpoises detected which can be attributed
to SeaGen", adding that the "only changes observed after three
years of operation of SeaGen have been relatively small-scale
changes in the behaviour and distribution of seals and harbour
porpoises, which suggests a minor degree of local avoidance
of SeaGen".
Frank Fortune, technical director at Royal Haskoning, said
- "The findings of the Environmental Monitoring Programme
give us confidence that SeaGen will be able to continue to
operate with no likely significant impacts on the marine environment
of Strangford Lough."
|
