Europe reported on the launch of the largest turbine in the world. It can generate as much green energy as it takes to power 20,000 homes.
A 680 ton tidal turbine has begun generating electricity at the European Marine Energy Center in Orkney, an archipelago north of mainland Scotland. The researchers note that this is a “big step” for the UK’s nascent marine energy sector.
Scottish engineering firm Orbital Marine Power described how its 2-megawatt turbine was anchored in a reservoir near the Orkney Islands, and an undersea cable connected it to the local power grid on land.
The 74 meter long turbine is expected to operate offshore for the next 15 years, the company said. According to the researchers, this capacity will be enough to meet the electricity needs of about 2 thousand British homes.
The turbine will also transfer power to an onshore electrolytic cell that will generate what is called “green hydrogen”. In a statement, Orbital Marine Power CEO Andrew Scott called the news “a milestone for O2.”
The researchers received funding for the construction of the turbine from government lenders through Abundance Investment. The Scottish government has also provided £ 3.4 million (about $ 4.72 million) in support through the Saltire Tidal Energy Challenge Fund.
Michael Matheson, Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Energy and Transport, said his country “is ideally positioned to exploit the huge global green energy market.”
