DP Marine Energy and DEME Blue Energy Consortium successful in tender for tidal energy project

News - October 17, 2012

The DP Marine Energy and DEME Blue Energy development consortium (DPME/DBE) has added a further marine energy project to its West Islay tidal project off South West Scotland with the award of an Agreement for Lease from The Crown Estate for a 100MW tidal project off the northwest coast of Antrim at Fair Head in Northern Ireland.

Both projects have significant energy resource developed by the same waters flooding and ebbing between the North Atlantic and the Irish Sea and both form part of the North Channel resource area.

The Fair Head tidal project is conceived around the use of 100 1MW power train turbines with differing support structure designs based on the variable water depths across the site. Preliminary layouts have been outlined utilizing the three bladed horizontal axis Siemens MCT power trains mounted on both fixed tower structures or on floating support structures where the depths exceed 40m.

Final designs and turbine selection will depend on the specific site conditions and the suitability of the various designs for the specific location, and will also be informed by the environmental constraints identified through the Environmental Impact Assessment Process and feedback from other sea users and stakeholders.

The parties within the DPME/DBE consortium bring a diverse range of complementary skills and together a substantial breadth of development experience in renewable energy projects and offshore construction.