Sabella retrieves D10 tidal turbine


Photograph courtesy of Sabella

French tidal energy developer, Sabella, has retrieved its D10 tidal turbine from the bottom of the Fromveur Strait, off Ushant island, France.

The retrieval operation started yesterday with the DP2 vessel Aker Wayfarer, equipped with two offshore cranes, from the Norway-based provider of vessel services Akofs Offshore.

Project management specialist for marine renewable energy industry, Mojo Maritime, conducted the retrieval operation.

The gravity based foundation and the export cable were left in the Fromveur Strait.

Aker Wayfarer, with the D10 tidal turbine onboard, returned to the Port of Brest this morning, Sabella informed on its social media.

The 1 MW turbine, with a rotor diameter of 10m and height of 17m, weighing around 450 tonnes, was deployed in June 2015, and connected to the Ushant island’s grid last November.

Sabella now plans to check various components of D10 tidal turbine and implement first optimizations, and to replace the part of defective cable that was damaged during the installation of the turbine in 2015 to conduct a new series of tests at turbine’s maximum power capacity.

The new testing campaign of Sabella’s D10 is scheduled to begin this fall.

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