The European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) has recovered its Integrated Monitoring Pod following months of transmitting real-time data feeds from the seabed at the Fall of Warness tidal energy test site in Orkney, Scotland.
EMEC’s monitoring system, designed to operate in high velocity tidal flows, integrates a variety of sensors for environmental measurements, able to provide improved characterisation of high energy marine environments.
The Pod is set up as a plug-and-play prototype with the ability to install additional sensors, with future development focused on supporting data collection at commercial marine energy array projects.
Neil Kermode , EMEC’s Managing Director, said: “There have been huge learning curves with this project as we’re operating in largely unchartered territory (even within the tidal energy industry), and we’ve learnt, and continue to learn, a great deal which will help support future developments of the Pod as well as other marine operations.
“For example, we’ve found certain materials – connectors for instance – designed for offshore subsea operations are not necessarily suited to cope with the highly oxygenated and turbulent near-shore environment we are working in.
“We’re keen to collaborate with the industry – particularly developers of sensors and those planning marine energy arrays – to drive the development of this Pod further and ensure that it fits the needs of all end users.”
EMEC states that making real-time data feeds available to developers will assist in device design, enable more accurate assessment of device performance, and support operations and maintenance planning.
The recovered Pod will undergo further inspections and enhancements prior to redeployment in spring 2016, according to EMEC.
The results of the project will be provided early in 2016.
The project has received funding from the Scottish Government via the Marine Renewables Commercialisation Fund (MRCF), which is managed by the Carbon Trust.