08.02.2012: Tidal Turbine getting ready to feed the grid
Hammerfest Strøm has completed another key milestone after the successful installation of the 1MW HS1000 tidal turbine in one of the toughest waters in Europe at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney. The installation was carried out during very challenging weather conditions. The device has been successfully synchronised to the grid and supplied power to the grid on the first attempt and during the first start-up.
Project Manager, Martin Sloan says:
"When we started out in this process the widely held view was that we had an operational window of approx. 6 months. With deployment of the HS1000 in some of the UK’s most hostile waters at what must be considered one of the worst operational deployment periods we have demonstrated that with the correct methodologies, skilled personnel and proper risk management the window is year round. The significance of this should go a long way to driving down the whole cost structure of tidal deployment by companies such as Hammerfest Strøm who can demonstrate they have the capability and technologies to work throughout the year.
The final phase of commissioning the onshore equipment is now well underway and it is anticipated that we will commence operational / load testing onto the grid later this month which then kicks off the data collection and engineering validation process, this process will continue over many months albeit tthe system is now configured to be operated remotely."
The HS1000 is designed based on the 300kW prototype, HS300, installed in Kvalsund in Northern-Norway. The prototype has in total generated over 1.5GWh to the grid and showed 98% availability during testing. This major achievement does clearly show that it is possible to produce power from the tide in a reliable and predictable way and that investments into this technology are well justified.
Michael Betschart, Engineering Manager, says:
"The Hammerfest Strøm engineering team is overwhelmed by the recent successes with the HS300 and the HS1000. No doubt, not only the availability of the HS300 is a very convincing figure but also the deployment of the HS1000 under the given circumstances have boosted the trust in the emerging tidal industry. Thorough and robust engineering combined with the most modern simulation techniques together with an experienced and well-chosen supply chain are reflected in the success of the HS1000 installation and operation. The success comes not as a surprise but is the logical step from the hard work over the past years where a lot of the foundations have been laid for development of the commercial array deployment. Hammerfest Strøm is now confident and very well prepared with its experience and tools to face commercial project in an efficient manner."
As a part of the company’s project development the environment is in focus from early stage. Environmental Impact Assessments have been undertaken since 2001, and the results have shown that the turbines has no or insignificant impact on the environment.
Hammerfest Strøm is currently designing a 10MW array for ScottishPower Renewables in the Sound of Islay in Scotland.
