BUT MORE MUST BE DONE TO ENCOURAGE WAVE & TIDAL ENERGY IN THE UK
Bristol, England: The SeaGen tidal energy system, developed and deployed by Marine Current Turbines, has become the first–ever marine renewable energy project to be accredited by the UK energy regulator OFGEM for ROCs (Renewable Energy Certificates) and so will receive payment for the power it is generating. ROCs are the method by which the UK Government rewards the commercial generation of clean energy.
SeaGen, a 1.2MW twin turbine tidal energy system, was deployed in Northern Ireland’s Strangford Lough in May 2008 and is generating power for the equivalent of about 1000 homes via the local grid.
Martin Wright, Managing Director of Marine Current Turbines said: “Securing ROCs accreditation is a significant step forward as it is the first time that a tidal current system has been officially recognised as a commercial power station. Up until now, marine renewable technologies have not gone beyond the R&D phase. SeaGen has changed all that.”
“SeaGen is now consistently producing full power to the grid and is performing just as we expected. At 1.2MW capacity, it is the world’s most powerful marine energy device of any kind to be grid connected, and has to date generated the most energy from the sea onto the grid.”
“We have had our challenges with the SeaGen project and we know that we still have much to do to ensure that our technology is deployed on a truly commercial basis. However, the ROCs accreditation is a positive signal that tidal energy will play a part in the country’s future energy mix.”
Whilst SeaGen is performing well, Marine Current Turbines is however seriously concerned that the current investment climate threatens the long-term future of the marine energy sector. The company, along with other parts of the marine energy sector, is therefore looking to the UK Government to adopt measures that will encourage new investment into the tidal and wave sectors.
Martin Wright said: “The Government’s forthcoming Renewable Energy Strategy Review is critical to clean-tech companies such as Marine Current Turbines. The current investment climate is the worst in living memory and following the announcement to increase the ROC multiple to 2 for offshore wind, there is effectively no market to pull marine energy forward. It will be vital that the government addresses this is in its Renewable Energy Strategy Review and takes urgent action. If not, there is a significant risk that tidal power will suffer the same fate that befell the British wind industry: no home-grown manufacturing and engineering jobs.”
Notes to Editors:
1. Marine Current Turbines Ltd (www.marineturbines.com) is based in Bristol, England. The company was established in 2000 and its principal
corporate shareholders include BankInvest, ESB International, EDF Energy, Guernsey Electricity and Triodos Bank.
In September 2008, MCT was ranked in The Guardian/Library House Top 10 of European clean-tech firms and in June 2009 won Renewable Energy Developer
of the Year in the UK Renewable Energy Association Annual Awards.
2. SeaGen works by generating power from sea currents, using a pair of axial flow turbines driving generators through gearboxes using similar principles to wind generator technology.
The main difference is that the high density of seawater compared to wind allows a much
smaller system; SeaGen has twin 600kW turbines each of 16m diameter. The capture of kinetic energy from a water current, much like with wind energy or solar energy, depends on how many square meters of flow cross-section can be addressed by the system.
With water current turbines it is rotor swept area that dictates energy capture capability, because it is the cross section of flow that is intercepted which matters. SeaGen has over 400 square meters of rotor area which is why it can develop its full rated power of 1.2MW
in a flow of 2.4m/s (5 knots).
Bristol, England: The SeaGen tidal energy system, developed and deployed by Marine Current Turbines, has become the first–ever marine renewable energy project to be accredited by the UK energy regulator OFGEM for ROCs (Renewable Energy Certificates) and so will receive payment for the power it is generating. ROCs are the method by which the UK Government rewards the commercial generation of clean energy.
SeaGen, a 1.2MW twin turbine tidal energy system, was deployed in Northern Ireland’s Strangford Lough in May 2008 and is generating power for the equivalent of about 1000 homes via the local grid.
Martin Wright, Managing Director of Marine Current Turbines said: “Securing ROCs accreditation is a significant step forward as it is the first time that a tidal current system has been officially recognised as a commercial power station. Up until now, marine renewable technologies have not gone beyond the R&D phase. SeaGen has changed all that.”
“SeaGen is now consistently producing full power to the grid and is performing just as we expected. At 1.2MW capacity, it is the world’s most powerful marine energy device of any kind to be grid connected, and has to date generated the most energy from the sea onto the grid.”
“We have had our challenges with the SeaGen project and we know that we still have much to do to ensure that our technology is deployed on a truly commercial basis. However, the ROCs accreditation is a positive signal that tidal energy will play a part in the country’s future energy mix.”
Whilst SeaGen is performing well, Marine Current Turbines is however seriously concerned that the current investment climate threatens the long-term future of the marine energy sector. The company, along with other parts of the marine energy sector, is therefore looking to the UK Government to adopt measures that will encourage new investment into the tidal and wave sectors.
Martin Wright said: “The Government’s forthcoming Renewable Energy Strategy Review is critical to clean-tech companies such as Marine Current Turbines. The current investment climate is the worst in living memory and following the announcement to increase the ROC multiple to 2 for offshore wind, there is effectively no market to pull marine energy forward. It will be vital that the government addresses this is in its Renewable Energy Strategy Review and takes urgent action. If not, there is a significant risk that tidal power will suffer the same fate that befell the British wind industry: no home-grown manufacturing and engineering jobs.”
Notes to Editors:
1. Marine Current Turbines Ltd (www.marineturbines.com) is based in Bristol, England. The company was established in 2000 and its principal
corporate shareholders include BankInvest, ESB International, EDF Energy, Guernsey Electricity and Triodos Bank.
In September 2008, MCT was ranked in The Guardian/Library House Top 10 of European clean-tech firms and in June 2009 won Renewable Energy Developer
of the Year in the UK Renewable Energy Association Annual Awards.
2. SeaGen works by generating power from sea currents, using a pair of axial flow turbines driving generators through gearboxes using similar principles to wind generator technology.
The main difference is that the high density of seawater compared to wind allows a much
smaller system; SeaGen has twin 600kW turbines each of 16m diameter. The capture of kinetic energy from a water current, much like with wind energy or solar energy, depends on how many square meters of flow cross-section can be addressed by the system.
With water current turbines it is rotor swept area that dictates energy capture capability, because it is the cross section of flow that is intercepted which matters. SeaGen has over 400 square meters of rotor area which is why it can develop its full rated power of 1.2MW
in a flow of 2.4m/s (5 knots).
For more information contact
Paul Taylor, Taylor Keogh Communications: Paul@taylorkeogh.com/ +44 (0) 203 170 8465
or Martin Wright, Managing Director, Marine Current Turbines, +44 (0)7785 340671
Click here for more information on Marine Current Turbines
