PLAT-O system anchors at EMEC

Sustainable Marine Energy (SME) has signed a long term testing contract with the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC).

SME has secured one of the berths at the Fall of Warness tidal test site where it will deploy five PLAT-O systems in an array over the next two years.

This array will host Schottel SIT tidal turbines and will deliver almost 1 MW capacity, EMEC’s press release reads.

Scottish Government supported SME with the award of nearly GBP 1.3 mln from the WATERS3 programme.

Dave Thomson of Orcades Marine is joining the company as Operations Manager to help deliver the programme. Thomson has been involved with SME for over a year, managing the marine operations for the testing of the first PLAT-O at an Isle of Wight test site.

Jason Hayman, Managing Director of SME said: “This has been the result of many months of work and I would like to thank Scottish Enterprise, EMEC and all the SME team for their hard work and support. At a time when commentators are talking the industry down, we can demonstrate that there is a new cost effective model to watch.”

Fergus Ewing, Scottish Minster for Business, Energy and Tourism commented: “We welcome Sustainable Marine Energy to Scotland with its commitment to the Scottish economy. As a government we are glad to provide them with the support they need to develop their business in Scotland.”

Neil Kermode, Managing Director at EMEC added: “Sustainable Marine Energy plan to deliver the first tidal array at the Fall of Warness which will be a major milestone for EMEC. We look forward to working with them over the years to come.”

Sustainable Marine Energy is an Isle of Wight-based engineering company that designed PLAT-O tidal platform built to host tidal turbines that will generate electricity from the tides.

[mappress mapid=”347″]

Image: EMEC