Minesto hires Leask Marine for Faroe Islands anchoring job

Minesto has awarded a contract to Orkney-based marine services provider Leask Marine for the installation of a drilled foundation anchor for the first Dragon 12 tidal energy kite system in Faroe Islands.

The scope of work for Leask Marine includes detailed design, supply and installation of a drilled and grouted tubular foundation anchor for Minesto’s Dragon 12 tidal energy device, to be installed in Vestmannasund.

The move marks a shift from using gravity-based foundations to a drilled anchor solution, according to Swedish marine energy company Minesto.

The shift is said to bring substantially lower carbon footprint and also reduces installation costs, making Minesto well positioned for tidal energy array buildouts.

Martin Edlund, CEO of Minesto, said: “This is a significant step in scale-up of our tidal energy power plants. We now have a solution suitable for array buildout.”

A tubular foundation anchor utilises considerably less material than a gravity-based structure, so the solution significantly reduces the total CO2 life-cycle emissions. With a small physical footprint and rapid, low-noise installation, the tubular anchor system’s environmental impact is low.

“Taking the step to an anchored solution, away from gravity-based foundations, is a key development for array build outs. This will result in significant cost reductions in logistics, materials, installation and decommissioning,” added David Collier, COO at Minesto. 

Minesto has a long history of successful collaboration with Leask Marine in a range of foundation and installation projects. Leask’s anchor technology is well-proven and is now applied in tidal energy, as Minesto’s kite systems are to be anchored with this innovative solution.

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