A tidal turbine weighing 680 tons has begun generating electricity at the European Marine Energy Center in
Scottish engineering company Orbital MarinePower described how its 2-megawatt turbine was anchored in a body of water off Orkney and an undersea cable connected it to the local power grid on land.
The 74 meter long turbine is expected to beoperate offshore for the next 15 years, the company said. According to the researchers, this capacity will be enough to meet the electricity needs of about 2 thousand British homes.
The problem of turbulence in wind power plants is solved by vertical turbines
The turbine will also transmit power toa ground-based electrolyzer that will produce the so-called "green hydrogen". In a statement, Orbital Marine Power CEO Andrew Scott called the news "a milestone for O2."
Financing for the construction of a turbinethe researchers obtained from government lenders through Abundance Investment. The Scottish government has also provided £ 3.4 million (about $ 4.72 million) in support through the Saltire Tidal Energy Challenge Fund.
Michael Matheson, Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Energy and Transport, said his country "is ideally positioned to exploit the huge global green energy market."
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