Underwater turbine spinning for 6 years off Scotland’s coast is a breakthrough for tidal energy
It is immersed about 40 meters (44 yards) of water off the coast of Scotland, the turbines rotate for more than six years to harness the tidal power in the ocean – a durability sign that shows the commercial feasibility of technology.
Maintaining large turbines or network scale in the harsh marine environment, Long is a record that helps pave the way for large tidal energy farms and makes it more attractive to investors, according to the Ocean Energy Euro Association. The tidal energy projects will be expensive if the turbine must be removed from water for maintenance every two years.
The tidal energy techniques are still in the early days of their commercial development, but they are still The possibility of generating clean energy is great. According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, marine energy, a term uses researchers to refer to the energy resulting from tidal, currents, waves, or temperature changes, is the largest supplier of unexploited renewable energy in the world.
The Meygen Tidal Energy project, off the coast of Scotland, includes four turbines that produce 1.5 megawatts each, which is enough to collectively to operate up to 7,000 homes annually. On Thursday, Swedish SKF company announced that its bearings and seals on one of the turbines have passed a sign of 6/2 years without the need for unplanned or annoying maintenance. I have worked closely with the industry for a decade of time on design and testing.
Remy Gowit, CEO of Ocean Energy EURPE, said that six years of water with fixed operations is a “very important teacher” that suffers well for the future of tidal energy.
Scotland and the United Kingdom are global leaders in the tidal energy. Meygen, which is run by Sae Renewles, sends electricity to the network for approximately eight years.
There are very few tidal energy projects that are constantly generating electricity. Andrea, an expert in the development of naval energy, said that most of them were tests and demonstrations. Al -Tofi said that there are still great obstacles to overcoming them before the tidal energy is adopted on a wider scale, such as dealing with organizational issues, potential environmental implications and conflicts with other ocean users.
However, it seems that the Scotland project has dealt with the issue of whether the turbines could continue in the sea, added Copping, a distinguished faculty fellow at the Faculty of Maritime and Environmental Affairs at Washington University.
“I think they examined the boxes,” she said. Because the skeptics, which includes investors, of course and governments, said: “How will you run these things, especially for any period of time in this very difficult environment? “This is what I think they have proven.”
Fraser Johnson, director of operations and maintenance at Meygen, said it is very difficult to take what is mainly the wind turbines usually on the ground and placed under the water. He added that the turbines that determine the record must last for at least another year before you need to get out of the water for maintenance.
The four turbines in the inner sound of Pentland First, which is a narrow channel between the Scottish mainland and the well -known Stroma island for strong tidal currents. The tidal energy systems need strong currents to make electricity efficiently. Meygen plans to add 20 turbines in 2030 to produce more electricity, after completing ups in the electricity network. The site can eventually retain up to 130 more powerful turbines than those on the site today.
Meygen is located in open water, while another type of tidal project includes the construction of a dam -like structure called a barrage through the tidal water. With four turbines, Meygen is the largest tidal energy project of its kind all over the world, Johnson said.
“It is a title we wish we had no. We want more, we want others,” he said. “Unfortunately, others are having difficulty achieving what Megen has achieved. But working with SKF to go forward, we will push the industry forward.”
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