New “top of class” Test Facilities for Offshore Wind at NAREC

Shortly after the Crown Estate’s Round 3 Offshore Programme announcement, here is another news that while it it is very unlikely to take as much space in newspapers and news bulletins, it is of no less importance as it shows the commitment of a number of agencies and companies to make Offshore Wind a success in the UK.

The Energy Technology site announces: “ETI unveils plans to design world’s largest open access indoor test facility for offshore wind turbines” be built at the Narec site in Blyth, Northumberland.

So, after last December announcement of a new blade-test facility (with the capability to test blades up to 100m long), here is an indoor test-rig capable of testing a complete wind turbine drive train and nacelle of the size expected to be installed offshore by 2020.

And both to be up and running by the end of 2011.

Pretty challenging, isn’t it?

But then the whole UK plan of Offshore Wind development by 2020 is extremely challenging.

The press release tells us that currently two companies – Converteam and HORIBA Instruments – are working on competing designs and the decision on which one will get the contract will be made by May.

 

Ref:

Energy Technologies Institute News

Narec

OPT Powerbuoy deployed in Hawaii

Ocean Power Technologies, Inc. announcement of deployment of one PowerBuoy wave energy device at the Marine Corps Base at Kaneohe Bay on the island of Oahu, Hawaii.

The announcement continues by saying that the location is “approximately one mile offshore in 100 feet of water” and that it is “generating power in accordance with its specifications for local wave conditions and the test protocol being used” not sure what that means, maybe a military secret… 🙂

In any case this seems to be a new enhanced PowerBuoy model with “a more efficient power take-off system”, OPT says.

The announcement also mentions on-going collaboration between OPT and the US Navy with more installations in the pipeline.

Reference: OceanPowerMagazine.net

Nine options proposed for utilising tidal resource in Solway Firth

NewEnergyFocus site reports on a Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), Scottish Enterprise and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority feasibility study for tidal energy in Solway Firth

The report authors identify 9 main options covering a range of technologies (4 barrages, 2 lagoons and 3 tidal reefs) with, obviously, a range of electricity generation capacity (from 88 MW to 5.9 GW) and associated costs.

The nine options identified in the study are:

• Barrage 1: Workington to Abbey Head – largest barrage scheme with greatest energy output and environmental impact. Scale of construction and capital costs are limiting factors;
• Barrage 2: Southerness Point to Beckfoot – intermediate barrage, still with substantial environmental impact but offers some compromise;
• Barrage 3: Bowness to Annan – smaller barrage with reduced capital costs and energy output;
• Barrage 4: Moricambe Bay – barrage located out of main estuary to reduce environmental imapct. Small empounded area reduces available energy;
• Lagoon 1: Rascarrel to Southerness – larger lagoon on North side offering localised environmental impact but higher cost of generation than barrage options;
• Lagoon 2: Maryport to Beckfoot – southern lagoon with lowest energy output of the two options but similar potential environmental benefits;
• Reef 1: Workington to Abbey Head – largest reef scheme that enables large scale of generation with lower impact than barrage option;
• Reef 2: Southerness Point to Beckfoot – mid-range solution in terms of energy and environmental impact but improved cost of energy due to lower scale;
• Reef 3: Bowness to Annan – smallest reef where energy generation is limited by reduced tidal range in the shallow estuary. Potential to offer minimal environmental impact.

References:

http://www.newenergyfocus.com/do/ecco/view_item?listid=1&listcatid=32&listitemid=3525

http://www.nwda.co.uk/news–events/press-releases/201001/solway-energy-gateway-results.aspx

http://www.solwayenergygateway.co.uk/solway-energy-home.asp

Carbon Trust: Marine renewables will be ready for mass scale deployment in 10 years + funding for 6 UK based technologies

From Carbon Trust press release on feb 2nd:

"Marine energy is currently ten years behind offshore wind energy in its development, but […] costs can be dramatically reduced over the next ten years, which could see up to a thousand devices operating in the water by 2020. […] Marine energy will be ready for mass scale deployment and an important new commercial UK industry by 2020"

"[…] Generating electricity from the UK’s powerful wave and tidal resource not only plays a crucial role in meeting our climate change targets but also presents a significant economic opportunity for the UK. Wave alone presents a £2 billion economic opportunity for the UK. […] Carbon Trust analysis shows that 25% of the world’s wave and tidal technologies are being developed in the UK. Marine energy is an emerging industry with massive growth potential and each successful technology is competing for a stake in what will be a major growth industry.”

Details on Carbon Trust new funding:

" Carbon Trust […] announces the six most promising technologies that will today receive £22m new funding to speed up the deployment of full scale prototypes of their leading designs. […]

Designed and managed by the Carbon Trust, the Marine Renewable Proving Fund (MRPF) uses new funding from the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC). The MRPF marks a new level of commitment to developing wave and tidal technologies by helping the UK’s most promising technologies to progress towards early stage deployment and accelerating the first commercial projects in UK waters."

And this is what they look like:

	Hammerfest Strøm UK 1MW HS-1000 tidal system Norwegian blade system held in place by ballast, operating in Norway for severl years.Next generation will be deployed at EMEC in 2011.
	Voith 1MW Tidal Turbine German company established in hydropower turbine design. Tidal design uses propeller-style blades to drive turbines. 300kW prototype working off Korea.1MW design to be deployed at EMEC in 2011.
	Aquamarine 2.5MW Oyster 2 wave system Effectively a giant hinge that opens and closes from wave movement. Action drives water pumps that in turn drive turbines on land. Very few moving parts. The 315-kilowatt (kW) Oyster 1 device was officially connected to the National Grid at EMEC in November 2009 and is currently undergoing sea trials to gather data to finalise the Oyster 2 design, which will be deployed as a 2.5-megawatt (MW) pod of three linked devices powering a single onshore hydro-electric generator Deployment at EMEC in 2011 for commercial deployment planned in 2013
	Marine Current Turbines 1.2MW SeaGen tidal system 16m twin turbine system attached to central column has been operating in the Bristol channel for several years, and money will take system forward to commercial demonstration.
	Atlantis AK-1000 1MW Tidal Turbine Uses 18m bi-directional turbine design with high-efficiency blades. Only moving part in design is central shaft.To be deployed at EMEC in 2011.
	Pelamis P2 750kW wave system Characteristic ‘snake’ design generates electricity as articulations between units move. Modular design allows parts to be exchanged easily.Will be deployed at EMEC in the summer of 2010.

References:

http://www.carbontrust.co.uk/news/news/press-centre2010/2010/Pages/marine-energy-ready-for-mass-deployment.aspx

http://www.nce.co.uk/news/energy/uk-to-dominate-in-marine-and-tidal-energy/5213690.article?sm=5213690

http://www.aquamarinepower.com/technologies/

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2010/02/aquamarine-gets-5-1m-to-develop-oyster-2?cmpid=WNL-Friday-February5-2010