DeltaStream tidal device deployed off Wales

Tidal Energy Ltd, a Cardiff-based tidal energy developer, has deployed its DeltaStream tidal energy device into Ramsey Sound, off Pembrokeshire, Wales.

DeltaStream device was loaded off the quayside in Pembroke Port by the offshore construction vessel ‘Siem Daya 1’, before making the short passage to Ramsey Sound for installation during suitable tidal window, Tidal Energy Ltd’s press release reads.

The 400 kW demonstration device weighs 200 tonnes, with a frame 16 m long and 18 m high.

It has a gravity-based foundation which sits on the seabed under its own weight, without the need to drill or pile the structure into the seabed.

Martin Murphy, Managing Director of Tidal Energy Ltd, said: “The deployment of DeltaStream marks a significant achievement for the original inventor of the device, Richard Ayre, and for our team, our shareholders, Wales and the wider tidal industry. We are immensely proud to be one of the frontrunners of tidal energy development in this nascent industry, which has great and far-reaching potential for green energy production.”

The deployment will reportedly be followed by about two weeks of checking and testing before it will be possible to power energy into the system.

Chris Williams, Development Director of Tidal Energy Ltd, said: “After initial testing and commissioning of the device in the next few days, DeltaStream will gather data relating to its electricity generating performance and environmental impact over the coming months. We intend to recover the device for inspection and upgrade work next year.”

The company says that Ramsey Sound was chosen as the test-site for the device because it is sheltered from prevailing wind and wave conditions, but has a good tidal climate with tidal streams reaching up to 3 m/s on spring tides. There is a good grid connection feeding electricity to St Davids city and excellent port facilities and marine engineering capabilities nearby in Pembroke Port, according to Tidal Energy Ltd.

A total of around £15 million has been invested in the project, which has been provided by the company’s majority shareholder, Welsh renewable energy company Eco2 Ltd, along with EU funds worth £8 million delivered through the Welsh Government.

A DeltaStream unit is comprised of a steel main base that can carry up to three turbines. An independent horizontal tidal turbine can be mounted on to each nacelle, amounting to the total capacity of 1.2 MW a unit.

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