A huge tidal turbine that is touted to be the world’s largest has begun generating electricity. Attached to the European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney, the 74m-long, 680-ton O2 turbine will use ocean currents to produce electricity for a whole year for around 2,000 UK homes over the next 15 years.
The new tidal turbine is placed in a water body and is connected to a land-based electricity network via a subsea cable. Orbital Marine Power, the maker of the turbine, said the huge piece of hardware is the company’s first commercial turbine and has been 15 years in the making. It was constructed in Dundee before it traveled 200 miles to its current location.
Converting tidal energy into power
Its floating platform is held tight using anchors to protect from the powerful tidal stream; however, it can also work with strong–flowing rivers, with underwater rotors harnessing the dense flowing energy.
Commenting on the launch, Orbital CEO Andrew Scott said, “This is a major milestone for the O2 and I would like to commend the whole team at Orbital and our supply chain for delivering this pioneering renewable energy project safely and successfully.”
Scott added, “Our vision is that this project is the trigger to the harnessing of tidal stream resources around the world to play a role in tackling climate change whilst creating a new, low-carbon industrial sector.”
Marine power is the next big thing
As per a report from CNBC earlier this year, Scotland is turning into a hub for marine power, with Orbital one of the many firms that are ready to use the strong waves and tides to produce electricity. The report also points out that the current marine power market is small in comparison to other renewable technologies such as solar and wind; however, this is set to change as nations across the globe seek more ways to produce green energy.
Similarly, Engineers have moved the world’s most powerful magnet to the ITER fusion reactor. It is the world’s largest experimental fusion reactor which is located in France. The fusion reactor can produce a magnetic field of 13 Tesla, 280,000 times stronger than Earth’s.
