Magallanes Renovables has achieved a validation of its remote-control generation from its control centres located at Kirkwall, Orkney Islands, Scotland, and Redondela, Pontevedra, Spain.
The tidal platform has overcome the harsh winter on the coast of Scotland, demonstrating that its robust structure is prepared to withstand the severe climatic conditions of the 60th parallel.
There are many days when weather conditions do not allow the access to the platform for generating electricity, called ATIR. However, 70% of the time maintenance personnel can access the ATIR and perform the maintenance of the generators and other equipment, located 14 meters deep, descending through the internal mast.
The energy collection is much higher than expected, which causes a great reduction in the costs of the energy obtained and a greater use of all the possibilities offered by the plant: it could produce over 5,000 hours a year at its maximum capacity, the company explained.
“We are opening up the doors to a new energy resource that in a few years could become an important source of clean, renewable and 100% predictable energy to complement energies such as wind, solar and hydraulic. Soon we will be able to take advantage of the enormous potential that European coasts have and use a natural resource that, due to its dependence on lunar movements, is very effective in determining when energy can be poured into the electrical grid. In addition, it is an energy that does not need to be complemented by fossil fuels, since we know when and how much will be generated,” Magallanes Renovables said.
Magallanes Renovables was chosen, among 400 business consortiums, by the European Commission to lead a Fast Track to Innovation, in 2016. This project is in line with the European Union great commitment to renewable energies in order to meet the decarbonization objectives of 2020 and 2030, in which Magallanes Renovables is already playing an important role.