Orbital Marine’s O2 tidal turbine passes power generation tests

Orbital Marine Power’s O2 tidal turbine has been successfully tested in power generation mode, the Scottish company reported on social media.

Orbital Marine launched the 680-tonne O2 turbine on 22 April from the Forth Ports quayside facility in Dundee into the River Tay using a submersible barge.

The 2 MW tidal turbine arrived in Orkney waters two days after the launch.

Spanning 72 metres in length, with blade rotor area occupying 600 square metres, the O2 device houses two 1MW turbines at each side, reaching the nameplate power output of 2MW.

Said to be the world’s most powerful tidal turbine, the O2 will be capable of meeting the electricity demand of over 1,700 UK homes every year.