Northern Ireland has become the first part of the world to incorporate electricity made by tidal power into the national grid.

Green energy with the capacity to supply 150 homes was generated as a test ahead of full-blown production, expected within the next month.

County Down's Strangford Lough is home to the first commercial tidal turbine, named SeaGen. The system is run by Marine Current Turbines (MCT) Ltd.

-- Advertisement --

MCT's Managing Director Martin Wright said: "This is an important milestone for the company and indeed the development of the marine renewable energy sector as a whole.

"SeaGen, MCT, tidal power and the UK Government's push for marine renewables all now have real momentum."

Once fully operational Seagen will generate 1.2 megawatts of power, supplying the equivalent of 1,000 homes.

Mr Wright called the system "a major technical breakthrough" and praised his engineering team, who had done a "fantastic job".

(PR/JM)