The most powerful tidal-powered turbine in the world has come online. The 02 tidal turbine, made by Orbital Marine Power, will produce 2 MW, enough to power 2,000 homes in the UK. The plant installation alone will cut 2,200 tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere per year.
The 02 is 73 metre-long, weighs 680 tonnes, and has two hinged turbines 16 metres in diameter, which can be raised or lowered for transportation, installation, and maintenance. It has a floating superstructure with rotors attached to its legs generating energy from the passing tidal flow. A four-point mooring mechanism holds it in place with mooring chains that can each lift over 50 double-decker buses. The electricity produced is transmitted to the onshore network by a cable in the seabed.
After its manufacture and launch in Dundee this year, the 02 was towed to its installation site at the European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney, Scotland. The turbine will be in operation for 15 years. It is the first commercial tidal turbine from Orbital.
One of the unique features of the tidal turbine project is that it supplies energy to an onshore plant where green hydrogen is generated by an electrolyser.
Funds for the project came from several sources, including £3.4m provided by the Scottish government-run Saltire Tidal Energy Challenge Funds. More money was obtained from the ethical investment Platform, Abundance Investment.
Beyond the commissioning of the 02, Orbital has plans to make the technology underpinning the tidal turbine commercial. Andrew Scot, CEO of Orbital, explained, “We believe pioneering our vision in the UK can deliver on a broad spectrum of political initiatives across net-zero, leveling up and building back better at the same time as demonstrating global leadership in the area of low carbon innovation that is essential to creating a more sustainable future for the generations to come.”
Scottish Energy Secretary, Michael Matheson, takes pride in the 02, “With our abundant natural resources, expertise and ambition, Scotland is ideally placed to harness the enormous global market for marine energy whilst helping deliver a net-zero economy. The deployment of Orbital Marine Power’s O2, the world’s most powerful tidal turbine, is a proud moment for Scotland and a significant milestone in our journey to net zero.”
Tidal energy projects are expected to reach 100GW by 2050, according to Ocean Energy Europe.
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