Advisian, an independent advisory arm of the Australian engineering company WorleyParsons, will undertake a feasibility study for the development of its tidal energy system known as Tidal Turbine Reef (TTR).
Advisian will be testing the viability of the TTR as a reliable energy source that can be integrated into the Australian electricity network, starting from this month, with the completion of the project set for 2017.
The project, which will see Schottel Hydro and EcoFin Solutions working together with Advisian, has received Au$280,000 ($208,000) of funding support from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).
Bill Barker , Advisian’s Project Director for the new trial, said: “Advisian is increasingly looking to develop our knowledge of innovative technology in the renewable energy space, and we look forward to partnering with ARENA, and other like-minded organisations, into the future on similar projects.”
The TTR is a design developed by Advisian with the aim to harness the abundant tidal energy resource surrounding the Australian coastlines in an economically attractive manner.
The concept is specifically designed for the marine environment, to mitigate the high CAPEX and OPEX costs associated with the industry. Similar to the oil and gas installation methodology, the device is manufactured onshore and floated into position, according to Advisian.
A single device is expected to be capable of producing 2MW of renewable energy, enough energy to power more than 300 Australian homes.