Alstom’s 1MW tidal turbine at EMEC site Orkney-Scotland_(Copyright Alstom)
Hamburg/Germany, 24 April 2013 – Tidal energy is a new, promising realm of renewable energy. As technology advances, GL Renewables Certification (GL RC) is contributing its expertise by certifying Alstom’s tidal turbine prototype. Certification of tidal turbines is one of the key development areas for the tidal industry in the future, and represents a major milestone for Alstom on the REDAPT project.
GL RC and Tidal Generation Limited (TGL, now rebranded Alstom) have worked closely together to achieve ‘C-Design Assessment’ certification for Alstom’s full-scale 1MW tidal turbine. “The certification was carried out according to our Guideline for the Certification of Ocean Energy Converters.” said Andreas Schroeter, Managing Director GL Renewables Certification. “It included assessment of the prototype design which demonstrates the fulfillment of the requirements in relation to design safety for the prototype installation site.”
In Bristol, UK, Alstom received the Statement of Compliance for the C-Design-Assessment of the tidal turbine from Andreas Schroeter, GL RC. For Rob Stevenson, Alstom’s Vice-President for Ocean Energy, “the certification activity has been a great success, demonstrating efficient working between the two organizations to particularly challenging timescales”.
Alstom’s 1MW output horizontal-axis turbine is the vehicle which is part of the UK’s ReDAPT (Reliable Data Acquisition Program Tidal) project, which has been installed at the European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney, Scotland, to begin 18 months of testing. This follows the successful testing of TGL’s 500kW device, which was also certified by GL RC.
The ReDAPT project, commissioned and co-funded by the Energy Technologies Institute, will test the performance of the tidal generator in different operational conditions. Its aim is to increase public and industry confidence in tidal turbine technologies by providing a wide range of environmental impact and performance information, as well as demonstrating a new, reliable turbine design.
Picture: Alstom’s 1MW tidal turbine at EMEC site Orkney-Scotland (©Alstom)
About Alstom
Alstom is a global leader in the world of power generation, power transmission and rail infrastructure and sets the benchmark for innovative and environmentally friendly technologies. With more than 25% of the global hydropower installed capacity, Alstom provides turnkey integrated power plant solutions and associated services for a wide variety of energy sources, including ocean, hydro, nuclear, coal and oil, solar, geothermal, biomass, wind and gas. In renewable power, the group relies on international references in wind, as well as hydro references. By investing in offshore wind, solar CSP, or ocean energies, Alstom continues to develop its large range of renewable power solutions. In Ocean Energies Alstom is at the forefront in the design, development and manufacture of tidal stream turbines for the capture and conversion of tidal energy to electrical power. The Group employs 92, 000 people in around 100 countries. It had sales of €20 billion and booked close to €22 billion in orders in 2011/12.
About EMEC
Established in 2003, The European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) Ltd provides internationally recognised and independently accredited purpose-built, open sea test facilities for wave and tidal energy converters in the world class wave and tidal conditions of Orkney, Scotland. With 14 full-scale test berths, it is home to some of the most innovative marine energy devices currently in development. EMEC also provides scale testing facilities for testing of smaller scale wave and tidal devices, offers a wide range of consultancy and research services, and is at the forefront in the development of industry standards. The Centre was established with around £30 million of funding from the Scottish Government, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, the Carbon Trust, the UK Government, Scottish Enterprise, the European Union and Orkney Islands Council. www.emec.org.uk
About GL Renewables Certification
GL Renewables Certification (GL RC) has issued guidelines which cover testing conditions, safety systems and quality requirements, for both onshore and offshore installations, in a variety of technical fields. For owners, manufacturers, operators, supplier firms, investors, banks and insurance companies alike certification is an important prerequisite for safe, reliable and highly productive facilities. GL Renewables Certification has offices in Germany, the U.S., Canada, India and China, and employs 185 people worldwide. For further information, please visit http://www.gl-group.com/
