Jones Bros Civil Engineering UK has informed that the gravity base structure for Minesto’s Deep Green tidal energy project is halfway done.
The concrete base, being constructed by Jones, will be hollow on the inside to allow it to be floated up the River Mersey and across the North Wales coast, the company said.
Its cells will then be filled with water to lower it to the bottom of the sea.
Once the structure is at the bottom of the sea in Holyhead Deep, a Minesto device will be secured to a mooring structure on the foundation, according to Jones Bros.
The concrete gravity base will be 21.5 meters x 12.75 meters x 4.7 meters, the manufacturer said.
Eryl Evans , Jones Bros Project Manager, said: “This is a complex structure that is progressing well and on schedule. To add to the challenges, we’re building this foundation 12 meters deep in a dock. This has meant all materials and machines including plant have been lifted in by a crane. We’re using approximately 465 m3 of concrete and the final structure will weigh close to 1,300 tonnes.”
Minesto’s tidal kite generates power when the water current creates a hydrodynamic lift force on the wing which pushes the kite forward.
The kite is steered in an 8-shaped trajectory by a rudder, and as the kite moves, the water flows through the turbine with magnified power, producing the electricity in the gearless generator.
The concrete base will be used for the 500kW Deep Green tidal plant which is planned for deployment off Anglesey in 2018.