Marine Current Turbines (MCT) is poised to this week install the world's first commercial scale tidal energy system in Northern Ireland's Strangford Lough.

Speaking from Strangford Lough, a spokesman for the company said that its 1.2MW SeaGen tidal energy system was transported from Belfast yesterday and the installation team is now waiting for the right tidal and weather conditions to deploy the tidal generator.

The installation is expected to begin later this week, with the full process scheduled to take 14 days. It will be followed by a 12 week commissioning period, during which time a team of environmental scientists from Royal Haskoning, Queen’s University Belfast and St Andrew’s Sea Mammal Research Unit will monitor SeaGen’s operation and its interaction with marine life.

The turbine is then expected to become fully operational in the summer, providing enough energy for 1,000 homes to Irish energy firm ESB Independent Energy.

The installation represents a major boost to the UK renewables sector and will be the first commercial scale tidal generator anywhere in the world to be grid connected.

It also represents the first phase of a major expansion project for MCT. Earlier this year, the company inked a deal with energy giant npower to build its first tidal energy wind farm off the coast of Anglesey. The company said at the time that it hopes for the 10.5MW development will be commissioned by 2011 and will provide enough electricity for around 6,000 homes.