The Scottish islands of Orkney ore home to the European Marine Energy Centre, a research centre focused on the development of tidal (and wave) power. Power Engineering International speaks to tidal power turbine technology equipment developers to Find out more about the Five ongoing projects at this hotbed on the seabed. The 20 000 people on the rugged islands of Orkney in Scotland's extreme north are vastly outnumbered by sheep But out to sea, beyond the wind-scoured landscape and dramatic cliffs, is the world's leading tidal energy research centre. The European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) at the Fall of Warness, to the west of the island of Eday, offers five test berths at depths ranging from 25 metres to 50 metres in an area 2 km across and 4 km in length. The site was chosen for its high velocity marine currents which reach almost 4 metres per second at spring tides. In each of the five test beds, 11kV subsea cables extend to the centre of the tidal stream. Developers are responsible for installing their devices, connecting to the designated cable and removing their devices when testing is complete.
展开▼
