Converteam To Supply Subsea Systems For Innovative Scottish Tidal Energy Generator (UK)

Power conversion specialist Converteam has announced that it has been selected to supply major elements of electrical equipment for a 1MW tidal turbine known as HS1000.

The contract awarded by Hammerfest Strøm UK Ltd includes the subsea generator and the shore based systems including a power converter, transformers and switchgear. The turbine will be deployed at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney, off north-east Scotland, during the late summer of 2011.

After an initial test period, Hammerfest Strøm will work with Scottish Power Renewables to install a 10MW array at Islay in 2013 utilising the HS1000 generic design chosen by Scottish Power Renewables as their preferred device. This project will be situated in deep waters (greater than 48 metres) just south of Port Askaig in the Sound of Islay, between the islands of Islay and Jura off Scotland’s west coast.

Speaking for Hammerfest Strøm Mr Stein Atle Andersen (Hammerfest Strom’s Managing Director) commented “In 2004, at Kvalsund in northern Norway, our HS300 tidal turbine (the prototype device to the HS1000) became the first large scale tidal device to be successfully connected to the grid. Our criteria is to utilise proven technology albeit in an innovative way whilst at the same time applying conservative safety margins in all aspects of our design: in selecting component and system suppliers we have sought out companies with relevant expertise and a proven track record who have demonstrated their responsiveness to our demanding selection criteria. Converteam clearly fulfils those criteria.

Converteam’s Steve Raynor, Senior Vice President Northern Europe added “The development of tidal power systems poses a series of challenges for their designers. Converteam has many decades of experience in designing electrical equipment and systems for hostile environments, such as those found in our offshore and oil & gas markets, so we know how to mitigate those challenges particularly with respect to reliability and maintenance which are exceptionally demanding in a subsea installation.”

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Source: converteam ,March 04, 2011;