Scotrenewables Tidal Power's prototype 2 MW tidal turbine has produced a quantity of 3 GWh of renewable electricity in its first year of operation. That amount is more than the entire wave and tidal power sector has produced in the past 12 years.
The results of the tidal turbine system - the SR2000 - are remarkable and set a benchmark for the industry. Although still an R&D project and only the first machine produced at actual scale, its performance level approaches that of other proven renewable technologies.
The prototype in question is 64 metres long and has a maximum cross-sectional area of 3.8 metres. The turbine can be installed in waters deeper than 25 metres. To do so, it uses a flexible anchoring system and proven components from other industries. Below the surface, the 16-metre rotor produces tidal power. The power is controlled at variable speed while the blades have a fixed position. As one of the most powerful tidal turbines, the SR2000 provides 25 producer of electricity for the Orkney Islands off the coast of northern Scotland.
Motivated by the success in Scotland and similar results from four tidal turbines, the company now plans to develop a commercial variant of the 2 MW tidal turbine with support from the EU's Horizon 2020 programme and bring it to market later this year. This will also be deployed around the Orkney Islands. According to calculations by Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult, the tidal energy sector could provide a net income of £1.4 billion in the UK alone and account for some 4,000 jobs by 2030.
The SR2000 has demonstrated the value of tidal technology, according to the company. Scotrenewables Tidal Power is now focusing all its attention on building on its success. Want to know more about the SR2000? The video below was released when the prototype's counter stood at 2 GWh.
