As part of the installation of its SR2000 2MW floating tidal turbine, Scotrenewables has completed the deploying its modular anchoring system at the European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney, Scotland.
Scotrenewables has partnered with McLaughlin & Harvey and Scotmarine to develop modular floating tidal turbines and anchors technology which are low cost and also can be easily installed and decommissioned.
These modular anchor blocks are interlocking and they can be transported to the quaryside and placed on the sea-bed where they would be picked up for deployment on site using remotely operated lifting equipment mounted on work boats.
The blocks were taken from the manufacturing site of McLaughlin & Harvey and were transported almost 30km away to the tidal test site by Heddle Construction.
Scotrenewables CEO Andrew Scott said: "The floating tidal anchors project has demonstrated how inexpensive gravity anchor materials can be utilised in conjunction with a highly innovative deployment approach towards a low cost anchoring solution for floating tidal installations."
"The entire anchoring system was fabricated within Orkney and installed using a locally based workboat vessel, further illustrating how this approach can make full use of the local supply chain for tidal energy installations."
McLaughlin & Harvey marine renewables manager Michael McSherry said: "McLaughlin & Harvey are delighted at the successes of the project.
"We were extremely thrilled to be involved as a project partner from conception through to delivery of yet another innovative solution to provide foundations in the tidal energy sector.
"Through collaboration with Scotrenewables, Scotmarine and supported by the MRCF and Invest NI and drawing on our experience of over 10 years of working in the offshore renewables market McLaughlin & Harvey with our designers MMI and RPS and our suppliers have been able to deliver a cost effective foundation for the SR2000 tidal turbine, the largest tidal turbine currently being deployed anywhere in the world.
"We look forward to building upon our relationship with Scotrenewables to help progress the offshore renewables sector."
European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC), is UK’s accredited testing facility that offers developers of wave and tidal energy converters – technologies to generate electricity by harnessing the power of waves and tidal streams with purpose built, accredited open-sea facilities.
Scotrenewables has developed a tidal turbine which features two propellers which fold up while being towed and is designed to minimize installation and operation costs.
The system has been using its testing facilities to test its tidal turbines ranging from 250kW to 2MW prototype tidal turbines.extensively trialled through scale model testing and a 250kW prototype.
Image: Scotrenewables, SR2000. Photo: Courtesy of Scotrenewables.