PLANS for one of the world’s first commercial scale tidal power schemes to be built off the Welsh coast were unveiled by an energy consortium yesterday.

Npower Renewables and Marine Current Turbines say the plant could generate 10.5 megawatts of electricity every year – enough to supply 6,000 Welsh homes.

And the firms, who have created development company SeaGen Wales to take the project forward, believe that, provided they get planning permission and financing, it could be operating by 2011.

A prototype is due to be operating off the Northern Ireland coast by Easter.

“It is also a significant step in commercialising the technology to not only deliver the country’s carbon reduction targets, but also opens up new opportunities for our SeaGen technology to be deployed in other parts of the world.”

The scheme would be sited in an area of 25-metre deep open water and will consist of seven 1.5MW turbines, each likely to stand about nine metres above sea level.