Orbital Marine Power’s award of the multi-million-pound contract marks the start of major construction for the O2 tidal turbine. The new project follows on from 2MW SR2000 turbine, which generated over 3GWh in its first year of testing at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney, Scotland.
The O2, capable of generating over 2MW from tidal stream resources, will become the world’s most powerful tidal turbine when it enters operation later next year (2020), says Orbital Marine Power. It is part of a long-term project at EMEC and features several innovations focused on further reducing the cost of energy from the company’s technology.
Orbital’s chief executive officer Andrew Scottsaid: “This is a flagship engineering project for the emerging tidal sector and we are delighted to be working with Texo Group to showcase the very capable supply chain we are fortunate to have around us in Scotland and the wider UK.”
“The results that we achieved with the SR2000 over the past two years are a convincing validation of our low-cost approach to generating clean, predictable power from tidal stream energy. The Orbital team are really excited to be building on that success with the O2 which we are confident will further reduce costs and cement our position at the forefront of this exciting new renewable sector.”
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Texo Group managing director Robert Dalziel said: “The O2 is a pioneering project that will transform the future of tidal energy on a global scale and will be a showcase for the very best in Scottish engineering.”
Dundee City Council leader John Alexander added: “This announcement is a huge boost for the city, both in terms of economic benefit and confidence in our facilities and workforce. Following significant investments by a number of companies already this year, this is another example of the hard work that has gone into bringing renewables jobs and investment to Dundee paying off.
We have a good track record in this hugely important sector and we are strategically well positioned to supply the coastal infrastructure, world leading supply chain and skills needed to deliver high quality, sustainable jobs to the city that pay the living wage and offer future opportunities for our young people, but not at a cost to the environment."
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