THE company behind a giant tidal turbine off St Davids Head has gone into administration it has been announced today.

A buyer is being sought Tidal Energy Ltd, which was set up in 2001, uses technology to harness the power of the sea's tides to provide a sustainable source of renewable electricity. It operates out of offices in Cardiff and Pembroke Dock.

Joint administrators Steve Wade and David Hill – from business rescue and recovery specialist Begbies Traynor – were appointed on October 17.

The administrators have retained key staff to continue the company’s operations and specialist knowledge while a buyer is sought for the business and assets as a going concern.

Tidal Energy Ltd has developed tidal stream technology called “DeltaStream”, a full scale 400KW turbine that has been successfully tested at Wales’s first tidal energy site at Ramsey Sound, in Pembrokeshire, west Wales. The Ramsey Sound site is also owned and operated by the company.

Tidal Energy Ltd Director, Chris Williams, said the results of testing the technology made the company a strong commercial prospect. “The full turbine characteristics have been tested and verified, and we also possess a wealth of data and information that makes the whole operation, including the turbine and the Ramsey Sound site an attractive proposition to potential partners,” said Mr Williams.

“Unfortunately, market forces have meant we have struggled financially, but we are confident that we have the skillsets amongst our people and a tried and tested technology in place that makes us confident about our future prospects. We therefore strongly believe we can help the UK lead the world in the development and application of tidal technology."

Administrator, Steve Wade, from Begbies Traynor, said the economic climate had had a “significant” impact on the company’s business.

“We hope, however, that by working closely with the board of directors and government agencies we can attract potential purchasers to emerge from a variety of different sources,” he said.