DNV GL has issued new service specification certification of tidal turbines and arrays, along with a new technical standard for tidal turbines.
The new service specification DNVGL-SE-0163 Certification is built on the foundation of DNV-OSS-312 Certification of Tidal and Wave Energy Converters and the GL Guideline for the Certification of Ocean Energy Converters.
DNV GL states that those two legacy documents have been important elements in the development of the tidal industry up to date but the industry needs have changed as it matures.
“The commercial impacts on developers become greater as the size of turbines and scale of planned arrays increases. Therefore more attention is paid to the reduction of risk and the processes through which risk is controlled and mitigated. This has been the core around which the service specification has been built, keeping the elements of the risk based approach used in technology qualification and the earlier DNV-OSS-312 but setting a clear structure and guidance on how you move from prototype through to type and project certification,” it is stated in a press release issued by DNV GL.
The service specification is of specific interest to tidal turbine and tidal array developers but it is also expected to have a wider general interest to other stakeholders such as investors, insurers and regulatory authorities.
According to DNV GL, the new service specification provides a clear scope for type certification which is key to opening up commercial opportunities for volume production for tidal turbine developers. Project developers, DNV GL states, will be interested both in what a ‘type certified’ turbine means but also in certifying their own projects to satisfy their investors and insurers that they have controlled their risks.
DNV GL is a ship and offshore classification society, and technical advisor for the energy value chain including renewables and energy efficiency, as well as the global oil and gas industry.
Image: DNV GL/Illustration