Underwater turbine set to be used for Scottish tidal power
An underwater turbine that is set to be used in Scotland’s first and only consented tidal-power project has completed initial testing.
The 1MW HS1000 tidal turbine developed by Andritz Hydro Hammerfest was installed in December 2011 and has since been undergoing tests in the tidal waters around Orkney.
According to a statement, the test device in Orkney, which is providing electricity for homes and businesses on the northern Orkney island of Eday, aims to prove that the technology can operate efficiently in Scotland’s fast-flowing tides, that monitoring and maintenance operations can be honed and to help reduce costs in operations and installation.
Scottish Power Renewables (SPR) plans to use this technology as part of the world’s first tidal turbine array in the Sound of Islay. The company’s plans to develop a 10MW tidal array in Islay received planning consent from the Scottish government in March 2011.
Keith Anderson, chief executive officer of Scottish Power Renewables, said: ‘The performance of the first HS1000 device has given us great confidence so far.
‘Engineers were able to install the device during atrocious weather conditions and it has been operating to a very high standard ever since.
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