East Coast Oil and Gas Engineering (EC-OG) has installed and switched on its ocean current energy conversion system, the Subsea Power Hub (SPH), at EMEC’s Shapinsay Sound test site.
The unit is now fully operational and performing in line with the technical predictions. The next step is to leave the SPH running 100% autonomously with wireless data monitoring over the summer months.
This testing validates the technical capability of the system which has been designed to fulfill the need for cost-effective and reliable subsea power. This subsea hybrid drive system uses a combination of a marine energy convertor coupled directly to a lithium based energy storage system.
Robert Cowman , engineering director at EC-OG, said: “Although the weather was not on our side, we were still able to successfully complete the installation and commence testing ahead of schedule. The system is performing very well and I’m pleased at how quickly the results are correlating with the theoretical basis for the test. Having a vertical axis turbine, means that the SPH is operating effectively in these unpredictable, sporadic flow conditions.”