To make the best use of this potential the Scottish government said that in this area the world's largest tidal power station will be built. The power plant, which looks like an underwater wind farm, will generate about 10MW of electricity, enough to provide power for around 5000 homes.

ScottishPower Renewable, the company in charge of the project, will install 10 tidal turbines, each with capacity of 1 MW, made by Hammerfest Strom AS, a Norwegian company. A 300 kW turbine prototype has been generating electricity in Norwegian waters for more than six years. This system will also be tested in waters off Orkney, Scotland, this year.

The devices should be installed and ready to generate electricity by 2013 and cost £40 million.

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