Tidal Sails obtains permit for full-scale tidal pilot

 
Tidal Sails has secured a permit for a 4.4MW tidal energy pilot project set for deployment off Norway.

The permit, granted by the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE), allows the Norwegian tidal energy developer to proceed with the scheduled full-scale pilot project in the Kvalsund Strait, near Hammerfest, off Norway.

The 4.4MW pilot plant will feature Tidal Sails’ TackReach technology, which is a two-station solution that operates with sails going back and forth – one sail leg is reaching with the current, and the other is tacking up against the current.

The €11 million TackReach demonstration plant will be deployed at 15 meters depth in a 4 knot current, pending 60% state funding, Tidal Sails said.

The project involves long standing partners Global Maritime, who will undertake engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) works, with Setec providing direct drive permanent magnet generators, and Sapa aluminum sails.

Deployment is scheduled for summer of 2018.

To remind, Tidal Sails concluded the trials on its scaled TackReach prototype in October 2016, after the device met the requirement of stable grid-connected operation and supplied power to Norwegian national grid.