The western Indian state of Gujarat is aiming to host the first commercial-scale tidal power project in Asia after signing a deal with a British marine energy company, officials said Wednesday. State Energy Minister Saurabh Patel told AFP that two or three locations had been identified in the Gulf of Kutch where turbines from London-based Atlantis Resources Corporation could be set up.
A preliminary agreement was signed last week between the government and Atlantis which foresees the start of construction later this year, with initial capacity of 50 megawatts (MW) and long-term capacity of up to 250 MW. Patel said environmental and commercial factors would be taken into consideration, as well as highly sensitive territorial claims in the area where the sea is divided between India and Pakistan.