An offshore power station operating offshore Northern Ireland

This power station cannot be called “tidal”, since it receives energy from sea currents, and not the fastest ones (from 1 m / s). The power plant consists of a group of units, each of which is something like a kite, only floating in the water column. The unit is positioned in such a way as to optimally use the energy of the flow.

Each unit is equipped with “wings” with a total span of three meters, and a turbine that is driven by water. By the way, the cable on which the unit “hangs” is complex, consisting of a mount, a communication cable and an energy cable.

All this is controlled by an operator who monitors the work of each unit and directs them so that the overall work efficiency is maximum. The author of the project is Minesto. By the way, so far this is a pilot project.

Subject to successful testing of the entire power plant, full-size units with a “wingspan” of 8-14 meters will be put into operation. The unit’s power with a “range” of 8 meters will be 120 kW, with a flow rate of 1.3 meters per second. The 14-meter version will already produce 850 kW, at a flow speed of 1.7 m / s.

The developers claim that their technology is quite competitive (including price) with other technologies for generating energy, not only “green”, but also traditional.



Via spectrum