Alstom’s acquisition of TGL is expected to be completed within the next few months, subject to closing conditions. TGL is in the forefront of design, development and manufacture of tidal stream turbines which capture and convert the energy of tidal streams to generate electrical power. TGL’s first 500kWe unit was successfully installed at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) at Orkney in Scotland and generated and fed into the grid over 250MWh of electricity – enough power to supply the equivalent of 300 homes - averaging 12 hours of operation each day. It was the first EMEC located project to receive the UK Renewable Obligations Certificate.
As part of the Energy Technologies Institute commissioned and co-funded ReDAPT (Reliable Data Acquisition Platform for Tidal) consortium project, TGL’s 1MW tidal turbine will be installed in EMEC’s water by the end of 2012 and will be tested in various operational conditions off Orkney over a two-year period. Detailed environmental and tidal stream information will be measured to help the marine renewable industry understand the challenges that must be addressed for tidal technology to be developed on a commercial scale.
Alstom says the acquisition will complement its on-going research and development activities on ocean energies based in Nantes, France. It gives the company an opportunity to build a complete portfolio of tidal products and technologies which is necessary to cover the wide range of site conditions and to meet all the company’s customer needs.
TGL is based in Bristol, UK and employs 29 people. Alstom believes TGL will benefit from its experience in the energy industry, its global presence in 100 countries and its integrated offer including power generation and transmission.
Further information:
Website www.alstom.com
