Minesto looks for tethers

Swedish tidal energy developer Minesto has launched a tender for the provision of a tether rope to be used for its Deep Green tidal power plant.

Minesto is looking for a supplier of a tether rope that will be used to attach Deep Green tidal kite to the bottom joint. The tether should be comprised of a poly-urethane fairing enclosing a fibre load-carrier, power cables, optical fibre signal cables and sensors, Minesto informed.

As reported earlier, Minesto ordered a modified version of Rocksteady bottom joint system from Subsea Riser Products (SRP), which functions as a locking mechanism between Deep Green’s tether and seabed foundation.

The tender closes on August 5, with the estimated contract award date set at September 5, 2016.

Minesto plans to install a 500kW tidal power plant at the Holyhead Deep site off the coast of Anglesey, Wales, in 2017.

Minesto’s Deep Green technology consists of a wing, that resembles the kite, and the electricity is produced when the water current creates a hydrodynamic lift force on the wing which pushes the kite, tethered trough a single mooring to the sea floor, forward.