Swedish marine energy company Minesto has started commissioning works for its second Dragon Class tidal power plant in Faroe Islands.
The commissioning works are taking place at Minesto ’s grid-connected site in Vestmanna.
According to the company, the operation will greatly benefit from previous configuration testing executed with the first unit.
To remind, Minesto commissioned the first 100kW Dragon Class unit in Faroe Islands in early summer.
The first phase of electricity generation with the unit demonstrated that predicted performance is achieved in line with Minesto’s previous forecasts and simulation results .
Even though the two ‘Dragon 4’ kites look identical, a few upgrades have been implemented on the second unit as part of the product development process, according to Minesto.
Martin Edlund , CEO of Minesto, said: “As we are now commissioning the second ‘Dragon 4’ unit, it’s with vital experience of cost-efficient onshore and offshore operations. In Vestmanna, we have created a flexible setup, where a small team can assemble and launch the kite in a few hours, practically in all tidal conditions. This operating methodology can be transferred to any location.”
Bernt Erik Westre , CTO of Minesto, added: “It’s only three months between the installation of these two units, and it is satisfying to note that this short period is sufficient time to assess, decide, install, and test upgrades prior to delivery. This also underlines the fabrication friendliness of our technology.”
In April 2022, Minesto launched a build-out plan for tidal energy arrays in the Faroe Islands . The plan includes four new verified sites with the potential to supply 40% of the country’s growing electricity consumption, enabling the Faroe Islands to reach their policy goal of 100% renewable energy by 2030.