Tidal power in the UK moved a step closer this week thanks to the technological assessment of the Hammerfest Strom tidal stream turbine system by Frazer-Nash.
The company claims that its assessment of the Norwegian tidal system for ScottishPower Renewables will smooth plans for the power giant to develop a much larger tidal system in the UK, in partnership with Hammerfest Strom.
The ScottishPower Renewables partnership aims to optimise Hammerfest Strom's technology in order to build a 1MW tidal turbine for the UK coast.
Frazer-Nash’s role in the project was to help understand the viability of scaling up the existing 300kW Norwegian tidal turbine to a system three times as powerful for deployment in UK waters.
Beginning in July, Frazer-Nash undertook technical due diligence of the Hammerfest Strom technology to ‘de-risk’ ScottishPower Renewables proposed investment in the project.
On completion, Frazer-Nash provided a report to assess whether the investment would enable the energy supplier to build a more powerful turbine to support Scottish energy supplies in the future.
‘The Hammerfest Strom prototype is one of only two tidal energy systems of its kind in the world to be underpinned by long-term testing at sea,’ said Jonathan Armstrong, technical manager, Frazer-Nash Consultancy.
Installed in 2003, the original Norwegian 300kW tidal stream turbine is connected to the local electricity grid and for the last four years has provided power for the neighbouring Norwegian town of Hammerfest.
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