Minesto awards load cells supply contract

Minesto has hired a Berkshire-based company Applied Measurements for the supply of load cells to be used for Deep Green tidal plant.

The load cells will be used to measure tether and struts force on Minesto’s 500kW tidal power plant planned for deployment off Wales.

Designed as load pins, the load cells will be placed in the top joint that connects the tether and the wing via the struts, while the information gathered will be sent to the kite’s control system, Minesto said earlier.

The contract was awarded on March 10, 2017, according to the Welsh government’s procurement portal Sell2Wales.

Minesto is developing Deep Green tidal technology in the form of a ‘flying’ kite tethered to the sea bottom. It generates power when the water current creates a hydrodynamic lift force on the wing which pushes the kite forward.

The Swedish tidal energy developer plans to install the first 500kW tidal plant in Holyhead Deep later this year.