Client News- MCT passes another milestone

World's most powerful tidal stream turbine passes another milestone: two million kWh delivered

Date of issue: Tuesday, August 17th 2010

Marine Current Turbines’ SeaGen, the world’s first and only commercial scale tidal stream energy turbine, has passed another electricity generation milestone. The 1.2MW SeaGen, located in Strangford Lough (Northern Ireland), has delivered its two millionth unit of electricity into the UK electricity grid. It is now operating 24 hours, seven days a week and is well on course to be the first tidal system to meet the power generation criteria for the UK Government’s Marine Renewables Deployment Fund.

SeaGen is the only tidal energy system regularly generating power into the UK electricity grid and is the only tidal system to be accredited by OFGEM as a UK power station and also as a recipient of ROCs (Renewable Obligation Certificates). SeaGen is producing as much electricity as an average off-shore wind turbine of double the capacity and, unlike wind power generation, SeaGen’s output is wholly predictable.

Peter Fraenkel, Technical Director of Marine Current Turbines said: “Passing the 2 million kWh mark represents considerable progress and underlines the significant potential that our technology and base-load tidal energy has to offer. We are delivering marine energy on a daily basis which shows that our SeaGen technology is leading the race to harness the power of the seas by a large margin.”

It took SeaGen from July 2008 until March of this year to generate the first million units largely due to licence restictions placed on its operation. However since March the restrictions, to check that SeaGen’s operation did not have any adverse effect on marine life, have been significantly relaxed by the regulating authority and 24/7 operation has been allowed. So in just the five months since 24/7 operation started, SeaGen has delivered its second million.”

Peter Fraenkel added: “SeaGen, which produces 1.2MW for all current velocities higher than 2.4m/s, remains the world’s most powerful tidal turbine and after two years of development and successful operation is ready to be deployed on a commercial basis in other stretches of tidal water.

“It is worth clarifying that the key factor, which fixes the energy capturing capability of a tidal turbine, is its effective rotor swept area; this gives a measure of the amount of the resource that the machine can capture energy from. SeaGen’s twin rotors sweep 402 square meters of cross-section of current which is much larger than other tidal stream systems which are to be tested shortly. More importantly, SeaGen has been generating power for the past two years and therefore is unique as the world’s only megawatt scale tidal turbine with a verifiable and audited generating track record.”

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, Carbon Trust Investments, EDF Energy, ESB International, Guernsey Electricity, High Tide and Siemens Energy. The company is chaired by Paul Lester, the former Chief Executive of VT Group plc.

2. In September 2009, MCT was ranked the world’s top tidal energy company in The Guardian/Clean Tech Global 100 Survey and in June 2009 won Renewable Energy Developer of the Year in the UK Renewable Energy Association Annual Awards.

3. MCT’s 1.2MW SeaGen was deployed in Northern Ireland’s Strangford Lough in April 2008; it has the capacity to generate electricity for the equivalent of about 1500 homes and has the equivalent in energy output as a 2.5MW onshore wind turbine. SeaGen works in principle much like an “underwater windmill” with the rotors driven by the power of the tidal currents rather than the wind. The SeaGen turbine is subject to a rigorous monitoring programme imposed under its licensing conditions to ensure it does not threaten the marine life of Strangford Lough where it is located.

4. MCT is working with RWE npower renewables to develop a 10MW tidal farm off Anglesey and with Minas Bay Pulp & Paper to deploy a single SeaGen system in Canada’s Bay of Fundy. In March 2010, MCT secured approval for a lease from The Crown Estate to deploy its SeaGen tidal current technology off Brough Ness, on the southern most tip of the Orkney Islands (South Ronaldsay) and north east of John O’Groats. The company plans to have its first phase of SeaGen tidal turbines deployed there during 2017 with the whole scheme operational by 2020.

Client News-PARTNERSHIP STRENGTHS PLANNING PR SERVICES TO UK ENERGY SECTOR

TAYLOR KEOGH PARTNERS WITH INTERACTIVE COMPUTER GRAPHICS FIRM TO STRENGHTEN PLANNING PR & CONSULTATION SERVICES TO UK ENERGY SECTOR

Taylor Keogh Communications, the London-based PR firm that specialises in the UK energy and environment sectors, has entered into a partnership agreement with 3D Web Technologies, one of the UK’s leading computer graphics firm. The agreement will strengthen Taylor Keogh’s range of planning PR services to power station and wind farm projects as well as developers of other major infrastructure projects in the UK.

3D Web Technologies, based in Altrincham (Cheshire), provides energy companies and public sector organisations with interactive computer generated models that allow people to see and understand how new projects, such as an onshore or offshore wind farm or a gas-fired power station, will look against the existing landscape. Over the past 18 months, the company has worked with EDF Energy, E.ON and RWE npower.

Andy Dennison, Director of 3D Web Technologies said: “Using the very latest computer software, we are giving people living or working in the vicinity of a proposed power project, such as a gas-fired power station or a route of overhead electricity pylons, an accurate view of how it will look. Photo-montages, from fixed locations, have been used for many years but our interactive technology helps projects come to life.”

Paul Taylor, Managing Director of Taylor Keogh Communications said: “With a large amount of new investment in the UK’s energy infrastructure required over the next decade, project developers and the planning authorities are looking more closely at new and innovative ways to explain the visual impact of their projects. Visual impact, often without justification, is often given as the main reason why a planning application is refused.

“We have seen the positive public response to 3D’s technology. It can provide our clients with a fantastic resource to show and crucially assure people about the impact of a proposed project on their local environment.

“3D Web Technologies is one of the UK’s most experienced and exciting companies working in this sector and so we are delighted to have entered into a partnership agreement with them. We believe that the planning challenges facing the energy and utility sector will only increase over the next few years and having 3D as part of the Taylor Keogh team will be hugely valuable.”

Notes to Editors:

Taylor Keogh Communications (www.taylorkeogh.com) was established in 2003. The company works across the energy spectrum, providing clients with a range of PR/communications services including planning/public consultation, media relations, corporate/financial PR and public affairs.

3D Web Technologies (www.3dwebtech.co.uk) was established in 1997 making the company one of the longest established producers of interactive 3D models in the UK. It has extensive experience and understanding, not only of the production of interactive 3D models but also in their application as communication and consultation tools. The company’s 3D models effectively engage, communicate and inform audiences ranging from government departments through to local councillors, town planners, architects, land owners and the public.

For further information:

Taylor Keogh Communications
Paul Taylor: 020 3170 8465 / paul@taylorkeogh.com

3d web technologies ltd
Andy Dennison: 0161 942 9940 / andyD@3dwebtech.co.uk

Client News-VISITS SEAGEN AT STRANGFORD LOUGH

PRINCE OF WALES VISITS SEAGEN AT STRANGFORD LOUGH

His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales has visited Marine Current Turbines’ SeaGen, the world leading marine current and tidal stream technology that is deployed in Northern Ireland’s Strangford Lough and generating power into the local grid on a daily basis.

HRH was greeted (May 13th) by Mr David Lindsay the Lord-Lieutenant for County Down and went on to meet Mrs Arlene Foster MLA Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment, Martin Wright Managing Director of Marine Current Turbines (MCT), and Professor Peter Gregson DL President and Vice-Chancellor Queen’s University Belfast. The Queen’s Marine Research facility at Portaferry, on the shore of Strangford Lough, provides an operating and monitoring base for MCT and offers research assistance to the company in its operation of SeaGen.

His Royal Highness attended a short presentation on the SeaGen project from MCT’s Martin Wright and colleagues and then sailed out to the turbine to see the project in its operational environment.

Picture attached: Seeing SeaGen close up - HRH Prince Charles with Mrs Arlene Foster, Northern Ireland’s Minister of Enterprise, Trade & Investment.

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, Carbon Trust Investments, EDF Energy, ESB International, Guernsey Electricity, High Tide and Siemens Energy.

2. In September 2009, MCT was ranked the world’s top tidal energy company in The Guardian/Clean Tech Global 100 Survey and in June 2009 won Renewable Energy Developer of the Year in the UK Renewable Energy Association Annual Awards.

3. MCT’s 1.2MW SeaGen was deployed in Northern Ireland’s Strangford Lough in April 2008; it has the capacity to generate power for the equivalent of about 1500 homes. It works in principle much like an “underwater windmill” with the rotors driven by the power of the tidal currents rather than the wind. The SeaGen turbine is subject to a rigorous monitoring programme imposed under its licensing conditions to ensure it does not threaten the marine life of Strangford Lough where it is located.

4. SeaGen is accredited by OFGEM as a UK power station and so is a recipient of Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs).

5. Since February 2008, MCT has partnered RWE npower renewables on plans to develop a 10MW tidal farm in waters off Anglesey, north Wales and is working with Minas Bay Pulp & Paper to deploy a single SeaGen system in Canada’s Bay of Fundy.

6. In March 2010, MCT secured approval for a lease from The Crown Estate to deploy its SeaGen tidal current technology off Brough Ness, on the southern most tip of the Orkney Islands (South Ronaldsay) and north east of John O’Groats. The company plans to have its first phase of SeaGen tidal turbines deployed there during 2017 with the whole scheme operational by 2020.