- A new tidal turbine has been deployed in Scot
- The turbine is capable of generating 2MW.
- The turbine is billed as the most powerful in the world.
The Orbital O2 tidal-powered turbine has been connected to the grid in Orkney, Scotland. According to manufacturers, Orbital Marine Power, the 74m long and 680-tonne turbine, is the most powerful in the world and has a capacity of 2MW. The turbine is currently anchored in the Fall of Warness and is connected to the local electricity grid via a subsea cable. The turbine also powers an onshore electrolyser generating green hydrogen.
The turbine floats oin the water surface while rotors attached to the legs extract energy from the passing tidal flow. This is the first tidal turbine produced by Orbital Marine Power, and the company is now set on commercializing the technology to boost job creation in coastal communities.
Orbital chief executive Andrew Scott hailed his team and the supply chain for delivering the project safely and successfully. “We believe pioneering our vision in the UK can deliver on a broad spectrum of political initiatives across net-zero, levelling up and building back better at the same time as demonstrating global leadership in the area of low-carbon innovation that is essential to creating a more sustainable future for the generations to come,” he added.
Funding for the O2 turbine’s construction was provided by public lenders, including the ethical investment platform, Abundance Investment, and £3.4m from the Scottish government’s Saltire Tidal Energy Challenge Fund.