DCNS plans to remove both tidal turbines deployed off France to replace the faulty part which has blocked the system, French media report.
Namely, the corrosion of the bolts and fasteners have prompted the French naval defense and energy specialist DCNS to remove the turbines deployed at the water depth of 40 meters off Brittany, French financial daily newspaper Les Echos reports.
The faulty parts were supplied by an unnamed British company which is now facing a lawsuit filed by DCNS, according to Les Echos.
The two turbines for the Paimpol-Bréhat project, with the combined capacity of 1MW, were deployed in the first half of 2016.
The same problem was discovered on OpenHydro’s turbines of similar type designated for Cape Sharp Tidal project in Canada late in August.
OpenHydro, a DCNS company, said the laboratory testing confirmed the risk associated with the long-term durability of the component and decided to replace the faulty bit, delaying the deployment of the turbines for Cape Sharp Tidal project until the problem is resolved.
Following the replacement of the malfunctioning part, the joint venture created by OpenHydro and Emera, Cape Sharp Tidal, installed the first turbine in the Bay of Fundy early in November 2016, and has subsequently delivered first power to Nova Scotia grid.
The exact timeline for the retrieval of the turbines has not been specified.
Tidal Energy Today has reached out to DCNS seeking more information. Should DCNS respond, the article will be updated with new information.