Tocardo has announced it has signed up to demonstrate a 20 year pre-commercial array at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney.
Described as a breakthrough for Tocardo’s careful roll out of its technology moving from near inshore towards offshore, the contract was signed at the International Conference for Ocean Energy (ICOE) being held in Edinburgh this week.
Tocardo plans to install eight T2 turbines across two Tocardo systems at EMEC’s grid-connected tidal test site at the Fall of Warness, off Eday, Orkney. Installation is scheduled to begin in 2017.
Tocardo’s T2 turbines have already been deployed and proven in the Netherlands at the Eastern Scheldt storm surge barrier (Deltaworks).
The planned array at EMEC is the next step in Tocardo’s path towards commercialising their tidal turbine by proving and validating the technology in the volatile offshore environment in Orkney for an extended time period.