News this week

It has been a busy few weeks at the Fall of Warness tidal test site. Following several successful retrieval and reinstallation works by Atlantis and TGL on the site, Voith have commenced work on installing the monopile for their tidal turbine.

Voith Hydro Ocean Current Technologies is planning to develop a full-scale demonstration of its Voith HyTide tidal energy converter at the Fall of Warness next year. Installation of the monopile foundation is currently underway, using the offshore construction vessel North Sea Giant (see pictured by EMEC’s Donald Sinclair), incorporating a seabed drilling rig. The monopile will provide the support for the installation of the turbine during August/September 2012. The monopile, 13m in height above seabed, will be located on the seabed within the EMEC tidal testing site at Fall of Warness.

Nearby, testing of the Scotrenewables tidal turbine took a step forward last week as the device generated power for the first time. The floating tidal turbine has been visible at Hatston pier for several months while it has been undergoing commissioning since arriving in Orkney waters in April prior to undergoing a test program at the EMEC tidal test site. The SR250 tidal turbine generated power for the first time during tow trials with the MV Voe Viking in Shapinsay Sound. Equally as important as generating power for the first time, the tow trials have proved that the primary design criteria of building a tidal turbine that can be easily handled with a modest sized work boat has been met. The team plan to take full advantage of the ease of handling and connecting/disconnecting the device from its moorings by regularly bringing the device back and forth to Hatston pier for maintenance and inspection over the 2 year testing program.