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Development of tidal stream generators

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Many tidal stream generators (also called tidal stream turbines, tidal energy converters) have been developed of the years to harness the power of tidal currents flowing around coastlines. Note that these operate on a different principal to tidal barrages or lagoons, that generate power by impounding the rising and falling tide.

Lots of different technology variants have been tested, and unlike wind turbines there has not been convergence on a predominant typology. Most have been horizontal-axis, like wind turbines, but with 2, 3, or more blades and either mounted on a seabed fixed foundation or on a floating platform. In addition, vertical-axis turbines and tidal kites are also being developed. Some

Historically, development has largely been focused around Europe, but devices have been built and tested in North America, and Japan (and others). The European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney was granted a license in 2016 to test up to 10 MW of tidal stream device in the Fall of Warness, to the west of the island of Eday, and has since hosted the testing of many of these devices.

There have been various acquisitions of technology developers over the years. Many of the companies are no longer trading, or have ceased development of tidal-stream turbines. However, the first pre-commercial array demonstration projects have been operating since around 2016. Building on this, commercial arrays are expected to be operational by around 2027, at EMEC, Morlais and elsewhere.

Development timeline

Key historical milestones in the development of tidal-stream turbines are summarised below:

  • In 2004, the world’s first tidal-stream turbine was connected to an electricity grid, the Hammerfest Strøm HS300, located in the waters of Kvalsundet, Finnmark, Norway.[1]
  • In May 2008, OpenHydro was the first tidal turbine connected to the National Grid in Great Britain. The 250 kW device was tested in the Fall of Warness, Eday, Orkney.[2]
  • In August 2016, Nova Innovation installed a second 100 kW turbine in the Bluemull Sound, Shetland, creating the worlds first tidal array.[3]
  • In 2016, a dedicated pre-consented site for testing tidal stream turbines was set up at the European Marine Energy Centre, to simplify the process for developers.

Key companies and turbines

Many companies have focused on the development of technology to harness tidal stream energy. A non-exhaustive list of key companies is given below.

Andritz Hydro Hammerfest

Hammerfest Strøm AS was a Norwegian developer of tidal stream turbines, based in Hammerfest. In 2010, Austrian hydropower company Andritz AG bought one third of the shares.[4] In 2012, Andritz became the majority stakeholder and rebranded the company Andritz Hydro Hammerfest.[5]

In November 2003, Hammerfest Strøm installed their HS300 turbine in Kvalsundet, Norway.[6] This 300 kW prototype was a 20 m diameter three-bladed horizontal-axis turbine. It sat on a monopile foundation in 50 m deep water. It was connected to the grid in 2014, and operated for over 16,000 hours before it was decommissioned in 2011 and removed in 2012.[1][7]

A more powerful 1MW device was then tested at EMEC from 2012. The HS1000 was also a 20 m diameter three-bladed horizontal-axis turbine, installed at the Fall of Warness test site in December 2011.[8][9]

Three Andritz Hydro Hammerfest AH1000 MK1 turbines were installed as part of phase 1 of the MeyGen project in 2016. These turbines are still three-bladed, but with an 18 m diameter rotor and each rated at 1.5 MW.[10]

Magallanes Renovables

Magallanes Renovables, S.L. is a Spanish developer of floating tidal energy devices, set up in 2009.[11]

Their second-generation 1.5 MW[note 1] ATIR device has two three-bladed counter-rotating 19 m diameter rotors at either end of a common driveshaft, mounted below the 45 m long hull.[12][13] It was constructed in Spain in the Ria de Vigo and launched in 2017 followed by a period of tow testing. The device was then towed to Orkney where it was deployed at the Fall of Warness and grid-connected in 2019. In 2020, it was towed to Edinburgh for maintenance, before returning to site in April 2021.[14][15]

The company previously tested a smaller scale version of the ATIR device at the EMEC nursery test site in Shapinsay Sound.[15] This was not grid-connected.

Nova Innovation

See also: Draft:Nova Innovation

Nova Innovation Ltd is an Edinburgh-based developer of small tidal-stream turbines. They have operated an array of up-to 6 of their 100 kW turbines in the Bluemull Sound, Shetland since 2016.[16][17]

Orbital Marine Power

See also: Orbital O2

Orbital Marine Power Ltd is an Orkney-based developer of floating tidal stream turbines that have twin rotors either side of a long tubular hull. Their third-generation turbine, the 2 MW Orbital O2 has been deployed at the Fall of Warness since 2021.[18] The company was founded in 2002 as Scotrenewables Tidal Power Ltd, but rebranded in 2019.[19]

List of grid-connected tidal stream generators

Over the years, many different tidal stream turbines have been deployed and tested at sea, and have delivered power to the local electricity grid. A non-exhaustive list is given in the table below.

Manufacturer & Turbine Power

(MW)

Country Location Coordinates Comm Decom Ref
MCT, SeaFlow 0.3   UK,   England Lynmouth, Devon 2003-01 2006-01
Hammerfest Strom, HS300 0.3   Norway Kvalsund 2004-01 2011-01 [1][6][7]
MCT, SeaGen 1.2   UK,   Northern Ireland Strangford Narrows 2008-12 2018-08
Orbital, SR250 0.25   UK

  Scotland

EMEC 2011-01 2013-08
Hammerfest Strom, HS1000 1 EMEC 2012-02 2015-01 [1][8]
Nova Innovation, M100 0.1 Bluemull Sound, Shetland 60°41′59.6″N 0°58′58.1″W / 60.699889°N 0.982806°W / 60.699889; -0.982806 2016-03 2023-06 [3][17]
Nova Innovation, M100 0.1 Bluemull Sound, Shetland 60°41′59.6″N 0°58′58.1″W / 60.699889°N 0.982806°W / 60.699889; -0.982806 2016-07 2023-06 [3][17]
Orbital, SR2000 2 EMEC 2016-10 2018-08 [17]
Andritz Hydro Hammerfest, HS1000 Mk1 ×3 1.5 Meygen 2016-12 Operational
SIMEC Atlantis, AR1500 1.5 Meygen 2017-02 Operational
Nova Innovation, M100 0.1 Bluemull Sound, Shetland 60°41′59.6″N 0°58′58.1″W / 60.699889°N 0.982806°W / 60.699889; -0.982806 2017-07 2023-06
Magallanes Renovables, ATIR 1.5 EMEC 59°8′29.08″N 2°49′6.5″W / 59.1414111°N 2.818472°W / 59.1414111; -2.818472 2019-02 [note 2] Operational [12][14]
Nova Innovation, M100-D 0.1 Bluemull Sound, Shetland 60°41′59.6″N 0°58′58.1″W / 60.699889°N 0.982806°W / 60.699889; -0.982806 2020-10 Operational [20]
Orbital, O2 2 EMEC 59°8′39.48″N 2°48′55.68″W / 59.1443000°N 2.8154667°W / 59.1443000; -2.8154667 2021-10 Operational [18]
Nova Innovation, M100-D x2 0.1 Bluemull Sound, Shetland 60°41′59.6″N 0°58′58.1″W / 60.699889°N 0.982806°W / 60.699889; -0.982806 2023-01 Operational [21]
  1. ^ a b c d ANDRITZ HYDRO Hammerfest. Renewable energy from tidal currents (PDF) (Report). p. 7. Retrieved 2023-12-20.
  2. ^ "OpenHydro turbine connected to UK grid". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2023-12-21.
  3. ^ a b c "World first for Shetlands in tidal power breakthrough". the Guardian. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
  4. ^ "Andritz acquires stake in tidal hydro firm Hammerfest Strom". Hydro Review. 2010-08-12. Retrieved 2023-12-21.
  5. ^ Visser, Anne (2012-04-23). "Norway: Hammerfest Strøm Changes Its Name to ANDRITZ HYDRO Hammerfest". Offshore Wind. Retrieved 2023-12-20.
  6. ^ a b Askheim, Svein. "Kvalsundet tidevannskraftverk". In Godal, Anne Marit (ed.). Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Oslo: Norsk nettleksikon. Retrieved 2023-12-20.
  7. ^ a b "Kvalsund Tidal Turbine Prototype | Tethys". tethys.pnnl.gov. Retrieved 2023-12-21.
  8. ^ a b "Giant tidal device set for tests off Orkney". BBC News. 2011-12-26. Retrieved 2023-12-20.
  9. ^ REN21 (June 2012). Renewables 2012 Global Status Report (PDF) (Report). p. 46. Retrieved 2023-12-20.{{cite report}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  10. ^ "MeyGen". SAE Renewables. Retrieved 2023-12-21.
  11. ^ "Magallanes Renovables: Unlocking energy from tidal power". Magallanes Renovables. Retrieved 2023-12-21.
  12. ^ a b Díaz‐Dorado, Eloy; Carrillo, Camilo; Cidras, Jose; Román, David; Grande, Javier (2021-01-21). "Performance evaluation and modelling of the Atir marine current turbine". IET Renewable Power Generation. 15 (4): 821–838. doi:10.1049/rpg2.12071. ISSN 1752-1416.
  13. ^ "Magallanes Renovables ATIR at EMEC | Tethys". tethys.pnnl.gov. Retrieved 2023-12-21.
  14. ^ a b "Magallanes tidal unit reinstalled at EMEC". ReNEWS.biz. 23 April 2021. Retrieved 2023-12-21.
  15. ^ a b Marthinsen, Stig. "Magallanes reinstall ATIR tidal turbine at EMEC, Interreg VB North Sea Region Programme". northsearegion.eu. Retrieved 2023-12-21.
  16. ^ "Shetland Tidal Array becomes world leader". ReNEWS. 31 January 2023. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  17. ^ a b c d "Nova looking to decommission older tidal turbines". Shetland News. 2023-02-28. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
  18. ^ a b "Orbital Marine Power : EMEC: European Marine Energy Centre". Retrieved 2023-12-03.
  19. ^ "Orbital Marine Power going with the ebb and flow". The Herald. 2019-04-30. Retrieved 2023-12-03.
  20. ^ Garanovic, Amir (2020-10-16). "Nova Innovation adds 4th turbine to Shetland tidal array". Offshore Energy. Retrieved 2023-12-09.
  21. ^ "Shetland Tidal Array becomes world leader". ReNEWS. 31 January 2023. Retrieved 25 November 2023.


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