A 680-tonne tidal turbine billed as the most powerful in the world has started to generate electricity off the northeastern coast of Scotland.
The Orbital O2 is anchored near Orkney and has the capacity to meet the annual electricity demand of 2,000 homes for the next 15 years.
It took Orbital Marine Power about 15 years to develop and 18 months to build its first commercial turbine, which it has described as a ‘major milestone’.
The 2MW turbine’s superstructure, which floats on the surface of the water, was sailed out to its position in May and is connected to the local onshore electricity network via a subsea cable.
It is anchored in 35 metres of water and starts producing clean power when the tide comes in. When the tide stops, its blades then rotate and start generating electricity in the other direction.
Orbital chief executive 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.
‘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.’
The company said it chose to anchor the turbine in the Fall of Warness because that is where some of the strongest tidal currents in the world happen.
It is connected to the local electricity grid and ‘will help power the communities of Orkney cleanly and sustainably from the waters that flow past their islands’, Orbital said.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited the turbine’s superstructure back in May and were given whisky to throw over the side of the vessel to bless it.
The firm received £3.4million from the Scottish government’s Saltire Tidal Energy Challenge Fund to make the Orbital O2 in Dundee.
Energy secretary Michael Matheson said: ‘With our abundant natural resources, expertise and ambition, Scotland is ideally-placed to harness the enormous global market for marine energy whilst helping deliver a net-zero economy.