The SR200 reached its 2 MW rated capacity earlier in April and is currently undergoing a comprehensive, grid-connected test programme at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney. The test is focusing on demonstrating power and hydrodynamic performance of the floating turbine technology in parallel with a low-cost maintenance and vessel strategy.
“Recognising we are still in the early stages of our demonstration programme this is a tremendously reassuring level of performance to be achieving, one which provides further confidence in our technology’s ability to deliver a significant step reduction in the cost of energy from tidal stream and meet our future customers’ needs” said CEO of Scotrenewables, Andrew Scott.
Jonathan Meason, Scotrenewables’ Engineering Manager, added that the SR2000 is providing invaluable experience and validation of the company’s engineering - both of which are informing the optimisation exercise which Scotrenewables is undertaking within its flagship Horizon 2020 project “FloTEC” - a collaborative industry and supply chain initiative aimed at further reducing the cost of energy from the company’s technology and providing the basis to commence commercial sales.
The company is confident it can considerably increase the performance from the system in parallel with reducing costs and risks.
The SR2000 was conservatively engineered and built with a 16 metre rotor diameter for each of its 1 MW turbines. Improvements under the FloTEC project include increasing diameters to 20 metre with composite blades developed with project partners EireComposites. This step alone is projected to increase annual yield from turbines by over 50 percent.
Image: Scotrenewables SR2000 tidal turbine
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