Orkney-based tidal energy developer Scotrenewables Tidal Power has secured £5.7 million for the demonstration of its SR2000 floating tidal turbine.
Scotrenewables’ existing shareholders ABB, Scottish Government’s Renewable Energy Investment Fund/REIF, Total New Energies, Bonheur ASA & Ganger Rolf ASA, were joined by new shareholders DP Energy, Harland & Wolff and Scotmarine to provide the investment to take the SR2000 programme through the next operational phase, Scotrenewables’ press release reads.
Commenting on the announcement the Scottish Minister for Business, Energy and Tourism, Fergus Ewing , said: “The £2.65 million investment from our Renewable Energy Investment Fund is part of a £5.7 million funding round, which will allow this dynamic company to complete construction of the world’s largest tidal turbine –– and to launch it at the European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney next year.”
Andrew Scott , Scotrenewables’ CEO, said: “This new investment is great news for the SR2000 programme and the team at SRTP who have put such a tremendous amount of work into this exciting technology. We look forward to getting this unit in the water next year and demonstrating the step-change advantages we are confident that our floating approach to tidal energy can offer the commercial sector.”
Scotrenewables is currently nearing the completion of the build of its 2 MW SR2000 system in the Harland & Wolff shipyard in Belfast.
The machine is due to be launched early next year before being towed to the European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney to commence grid connected testing.