DCNS company OpenHydro is to supply two new turbines for a pilot tidal power farm being developed by EDF turbines at Paimpol-Bréhat in Brittany, France.
The new project, expected to be operational from 2015, follows on from the successful testing of the tidal turbine L'Arcouest in real conditions between December 2013 and April 2014 at the Paimpol-Bréhat site. These conclusive tests demonstrated the performance of the tidal turbine developed by OpenHydro and validated the principle of the 16m diameter prototype, an essential step before the deployment of pilot farms.
The two turbines to be installed on the Paimpol-Bréhat site from 2015 will benefit from the feedback of studies conducted on components of the prototype L'Arcouest, said OpenHydro. These second-generation turbines will then be adapted for series production to support future calls for tenders for commercial farms.
"We are pleased with this announcement, which confirms the performance of the innovative tidal turbine technology developed by OpenHydro," said Thierry Kalanquin, executive chairman of OpenHydro and director of DCNS Marine Energy and Infrastructure Division. "We are eager to begin this new phase of our collaboration with EDF in order to contribute to the development of the tidal energy industry."
