TECHNOLOGY

SEA FARMS

A Rotech Tidal Turbine (RTT) of 1MW capacity is likely to be the initial standard commercial unit. In order to benefit from the economies of scale that can be derived from this new technology and enable it to compete with other electricity generators whilst offering an attractive return to investors it is essential that fields (sea farms) of RTT units be created. It is envisaged that the first commercially viable fields could vary in size from 100 to 500 linked 1MW RTT units.

The first UK commercial development (the ‘Premier’ Field) for Lunar Energy was originally planned to be operational in 2011. This will be a joint development with EoN and will be located off St. Davids Head on the Welsh Coast. Eon have already begun the planning and consenting process and when operational this sea farm will comprise 8 x linked 1MW tidal turbine devices.

Lunar plans to deploy a 100kw prototype at The European Marine Energy Centre in 2011. This will allow full and comprehensive deep water evaluation of the device. By scaling this device it will facilitate testing and evaluation of tidal energy resources in international markets as well as the UK. The economic and physical practicalities of a 2MW device are already being examined. This will involve scaling up the duct and structure of the smaller unit and using lessons learnt from the EMEC optimisations. A design and engineering assessment will precede the formal instigation of the ‘Premier’ Field project and this will further refine the development of the RTT commercial designs with a potential power output of up to 2MW.

On the 11th March 2008 Lunar Energy signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries (HSHI) and Korean Midland Power (KOMIPO) to develop the 1MW RTT unit for deployment into Korean coastal waters. It was planned by all parties that after testing there will be a full commercial development in the Wando Hoenggan waterway of up to 300 x 1MW RTT units at a cost of £500 million;the testing programme has been delayed. This sea farm is intended to be operational by 2015. Lunar and its RTT technology is already attracting interest from a number of international markets – Australia, New Zealand, India, Canada, USA – and it is likely that progress will be more rapid overseas where there is a heightened level of government support for large ‘renewable’ infrastructure projects and a faster regulatory framework.