Top news, November 19 – 25, 2018

MarineEnergy.biz has compiled the top news from marine energy industry from November 19 – 25, 2018.

Developers submit grid expansion plans for Nautilus tidal

UK-based marine renewable energy developer SBS has submitted a preliminary grid extension feasibility study to Indonesia’s state-owned electrical utility as part of Nautilus tidal energy project development.

The preliminary feasibility study, which explored the options to expand the grid on Lombok Island to accommodate the electricity that will be fed by the Nautilus tidal energy array, is now being internally reviewed by the utility PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN).

SBS has agreed exclusive ocean energy resource site-development rights with PLN for the project whose first phase will see the installation of eight 1.5MW turbines on behalf of independent power producer, SBS Energi Kelautan.

The turbines for the first phase, expected to be completed in 30 months, will be supplied by Edinburgh-based tidal energy developer SIMEC Atlantis Energy.

SIMEC Atlantis takes helm of Raz Blanchard tidal power quest

SIMEC Atlantis Energy has agreed terms for the collaboration with the French region of Normandy under a joint venture that will work to deliver a phased large-scale tidal power project in the Raz Blanchard strait.

The collaboration, which spawned the creation of Normandie Hydrolienne joint venture between SIMEC Atlantis, Development Agency for Normandy, and regional investment fund Normandie Participations, was formalized with the agreement signing ceremony between the parties on November 20, 2018.

As well as fostering the marine industry and local supply chain in Normandy region more generally, Normandie Hydrolienne will be specifically tasked with developing a multi hundred-megawatt tidal stream project in Raz Blanchard, according to the agreement.

Blue Shark inks Djibouti tidal power deal

French developer Blue Shark Power System has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Republic of Djibouti to supply its tidal turbines for a 120MW tidal energy project.

The agreement covers the preliminary studies for the project, and the the sale of 495 tidal turbines, each rated at 240kW, according to Blue Shark Power.

Blue Shark Power will deliver the project with the support from Weco Weco, a renewable energy project developer in the French-speaking African countries.

EEL Energy adapts turbine to river flows

French tidal energy developer EEL Energy has presented the river version of its prototype tidal turbine.

The solution, said to be requested by some market players, will complete the marine turbine solution also under development by EEL Energy.

The river variant, patented this month, has integrated the lessons from the tests conducted in recent months in the laboratory and at sea, according to EEL Energy.

The improvements and simplifications made on this version, in the concept and in its components, have allowed to drastically reduce component costs, EEL Energy said.

HydroWing tidal tech launches in Cornwall

Cornish tidal energy start-up Inyanga-Tech has launched a tidal energy project called HydroWing, which is based on a full-systems approach targeted at subsea tidal energy arrays.

Inyanga-Tech’s patent-pending HydroWing technology has received grant support from Marine-i program, as well as from the project’s lead partner, University of Exeter, which is undertaking research looking at operations, maintenance, reliability and yield analysis.

According to Inyanga-Tech’s Managing Director Richard Parkinson, the aim of Inyanga-Tech is to ‘rapidly’ develop the technology towards a first demonstrator deployment in 2020.