Top news, May 7 – 13, 2018

MarineEnergy.biz has compiled the top news from marine energy industry from May 7 – 13, 2018.

Minesto wraps up first Holyhead Deep installation phase

Minesto has completed the first offshore installation phase of the project aimed at demonstrating the company’s Deep Green marine energy technology in utility scale.

The gravity-based structure, including the bottom joint system, has been installed at the seabed in the Holyhead Deep off North West Wales, the Swedish developer informed.

Ecotricity floats ‘cheaper’ tidal lagoon options

Green outfit Ecotricity has presented the UK government with two alternative offshore tidal lagoon proposals – said to be able to produce the same amount of energy as Swansea Bay tidal lagoon scheme for half the cost.

The two new plans unveiled today are in the Solway Firth, one on the English side of the border and the other on the Scottish side.

Both projects would generate as much electricity as the Swansea Bay proposal, but at half the cost to build, which means they can make electricity for half the cost, according to Ecotricity.

UK consortium launches marine energy cost-cutting DP barge

The consortium, led by ITPEnergised, has launched a low-cost dynamic positioning (DP) barge which is expected to significantly improve the commercial viability of the wave and tidal energy generation sector.

The project, backed by Innovate UK, combined the expertise of Falmouth-based marine construction contractor and vessel owner Keynvor Morlift (KML), dynamic positioning system developer Reygar of Gloucester, and A&P Falmouth, which provided the dry dock facility and carried out the modification and conversion works.

SR2000 clocks up 365 days off Orkney

Scotrenewables Tidal Power’s SR2000 tidal turbine hit a new milestone on May 7, when it reached 365 days (combined) of being deployed at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) demonstration site in Orkney.

The SR2000 was first deployed at EMEC’s grid-connected Fall of Warness tidal test site off Orkney in October 2016.

In April 2018, the device exceeded 2GWh of cumulative electricity generation, marking the most power ever produced by a single tidal turbine at the test center.

Seabased to set up production facility in Norway

Wave energy company Seabased has opted for Norway for the establishment of a production facility for its wave energy devices that could employ 120 people in the first two years.

The facility, to be set up in Brevik, will build and test wave energy converters that will be part of several upcoming projects, including a 100MW installment off Ghana, according to Seabased.