Minesto spreads its wings

 
Minesto has completed the procurement of what is presumably the most distinctive part of its Deep Green tidal energy system – the wing.

Swedish tidal energy developer chose Green Marine from Southampton to supply the first commercial-scale wing for Deep Green tidal kite that spans 12 meters between the wing tips, and has a chord length of 3.3 meters.

Green Marine, best known for building custom racing yachts, but whose core business is also to build lightweight components in carbon fiber composites, will be assisted by Gurit, a Swiss-based global supplier of composite materials and engineering services.

The wing will be made from composite material, with inner beams in carbon fiber and an outer shell in fiberglass, Minesto said.

On the inside it is filled with a foam with room for dry ballast and an adjustable dynamic buoyancy system, while on the outside, the wing is fitted with sensors to measure current velocity, kite speed and level of depth.

Minesto said the ordered 12-meter wing has basically the same hydrodynamic shape and properties as the recently manufactured scale-model wing, delivered to the company in November.

This is yet another subsystem recently obtained by Minesto adding to already procured tether rope, fairing, micro grid system (MGS) buoy, and rear nacelle.

The 500kW Deep Green tidal plant is planned to be deployed by the end of 2017 in Holyhead Deep, off Wales.