The Dutch tidal device developer Tocardo has established a daughter company - Tocardo Tidal Energy - in Wick harbour, strategically situated on the northeast tip of mainland Scotland.
Later this year, the company plans to develop production, assembly and office facilities on the former dry dock site adjacent to the Wick North pier.
And by the end of the year, Tocardo will start the fabrication of a 10MW offshore tidal energy plant in the Pentland Firth. It is anticipated that the first tidal energy from that plant will be produced by early 2009.
The Tocardo technology features a twin-bladed horizontal axis turbine with direct drive generator and fixed pitch blades. As the devices operate completely submerged in water, they cause no visual impact whatsoever.
The offshore turbines fabricated at the Wick site will be equipped with rotor blades of 10m in diameter, generating 650kW per turbine when installed in the Pentland Firth tidal energy park.
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