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Scottish company Orbital Marine Power has completed the construction of a 2MW floating tidal turbine.
The 680-tonne turbine was loaded from the Port of Dundee onto a submersible barge in the River Tay earlier today and will now be towed to the European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney for commissioning.
The O2 turbine features two twin-blade rotors attached to retractable legs on either side of a 74-metre-long hull. Each rotor has a diameter of 20 metres and is capable of generating up to 1MW of electricity, making it the world’s most power tidal turbine. It will be attached to the seabed using a four-point mooring system.
Orbital Marine Power chief executive Andrew Scott said: “This is a huge milestone for Orbital; the O2 is a remarkable example of British cleantech innovation and the build we have completed here is an inspiring display of what a UK supply chain can achieve if given the opportunity – even under the extraordinary pressures of a pandemic.”
Construction began in the second half of 2019 and was managed by TEXO Fabrication. The turbine is the first vessel to be launched from Dundee since ship building ended there more than 40 years ago.
John Alexander, leader of Dundee City Council, said: “I’m very proud of the role that Dundee has played in helping to deliver this pioneering tidal turbine and congratulate the team at Orbital Marine and TEXO for their incredible efforts during the hardest year in recent memory.
“Orbital Marine’s incredible piece of engineering will play a pivotal role in showcasing this technology and helping Scotland to achieve its ambition in tackling the climate emergency, further propelling Dundee into a city which is transforming itself into a hub for renewables and innovation.”
In 2018, Simec Atlantis Energy unveiled the design for a 2MW single-rotor tidal turbine called the AR2000. Its predecessor – the 1.5MW AR1500 – has already been operational for several years as part of the MeyGen project in the Pentland Firth – the strait separating the Orkney islands from mainland Scotland.
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