Marine energy project, Morlais, has signed a deal with a local contractor worth £23.5 million to build their onshore infrastructures.
Social enterprise Menter Môn, who runs the scheme, have announced that north Wales company, Jones Bros Civil Engineering, will begin work this spring.
The news comes at the same time as confirmation of £31 million by the European Regional Development fund through the Welsh Government for the first phase of construction work.
Gerallt Llywelyn Jones, a director with Morlais, said: “This contract is just the beginning. It is an important milestone to ensuring we can build local supply chains and create job opportunities here on Anglesey and across the wider region.
“But it’s not all about economy. With action to tackle climate change becoming ever more urgent, generating clean electricity is also becoming increasingly important.”
With its headquarters in Ruthin, Jones Bros will be responsible for the construction of the landfall substation on Holy Island, as well as cabling which will connect the scheme to the National Grid.
Jess Hooper, Marine Energy Wales Programme Manager, emphasised the strategic importance of the Morlais project for Wales.
“It is a jewel in our crown, delivering on so many levels, from job prospects to our future decarbonisation targets. However, there’s no doubt that success relies on ongoing support and funding, and Marine Energy Wales will continue to help Morlais secure these.”
Morlais is the largest UK tidal energy development off the coast of Anglesey run by a social enterprise. Once constructed, it will have a potential generating capacity of 240MW – enough to power around 180,000 typical households.