Spanish tidal turbine company Magallanes has successfully installed its floating turbine at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC), supported by the EU-funded Marinet project. The 1:10 scale ‘ATIR’ prototype was installed on EMEC’s Shapinsay Sound test site.
Magallanes has been developing their concept since 2007, already having trialled previous prototypes in test tank and river conditions.
Alejandro Marquis de Magallanes , managing director said: “This test project allows us to demonstrate the integrity and viability of the concept and its subsystems in a real sea climate, and help inform the construction of our 2MW floating platform to ensure a stable and optimal design. One of the most important steps was to discover maintenance needs, as well as gaining operational experience at sea.”
Marinet (the Marine Renewables Infrastructure Network), was formed to accelerate the development of marine renewable energy by bringing together world-class testing facilities to offer EU-funded testing. The aim of Marinet is to progress research and development at all scales – from small models and laboratory tests through to prototype scales and open sea trials. EMEC is a partner in the initiative which has brought together 28 partners spanning 12 countries and offers access to 42 marine testing facilities covering all scales.
Eileen Linklater , EMEC’s client relationship manager said: “We are grateful to the Marinet project for enabling Magallanes to benefit from access to the test site. Accessible real sea testing allows marine energy developers and suppliers to learn extremely valuable lessons about working in a real sea environment more cheaply.”
[mappress mapid=”23″]
Press Release