OpenHydro has been announced by the Crown Estate as one of the six successful bidders to be granted seabed lease development rights on the UK seabed. The Crown Estate owns the seabed around the UK and selected from 42 energy companies bidding to install devices to harness wave and tidal power in the Pentland Firth and around Orkney.

The successful operation of such devices could generate enough power to supply half a million homes by 2020. The UK Government envisages that large-scale deployment of wave and tidal power-generation technology beyond 2020 can contribute significantly to its policy to reduce current carbon emissions by 80% by 2050. Focussing on this, the Government has recently issued The Marine Energy Action Plan setting out an agreed vision for the marine energy sector up to 2030.

The announcement is an exciting moment for RPS which, together with fellow project members McLaughlin & Harvey, has been working in close co-operation with OpenHydro since 2005 – working on engineering design and procurement, and developing the unique deployment and retrieval processes that are required for the tidal turbine’s installation.

The OpenHydro turbine was trialled in Orkney in 2006, and then tested in the Bay of Fundy’s Minas Passage in Nova Scotia (Canada) in 2009, securing great acclaim for its efficiency and innovative installation method which significantly reduced engineering and transport time. The technical skill in the engineering and installation of the tidal-turbine won it the NI Construction Employers Federation award in 2009.

With over 30 years’ expert and professional experience in the renewable energy sector, RPS has worked across a broad range of sustainable marine energy projects, and Dr. Mike Shaw, RPS Director can see great visions for the continued success of the OpenHydro tidal-turbine:

“It is great and justified testament to the pioneering efforts of OpenHydro and its skilled project team, that the incredible potential benefits of the turbine have been acknowledged with this important opportunity. There is fantastic scope for the deployment of wave and tidal power in the UK and this is a vital step in the progressive implementation of more environmentally responsible energy production.”

Contact:
OpenHydro Tidal Turbine Project:
Dr. Mike Shaw
T:+44 (0) 28 9066 7914
E: mike.shaw@rpsgroup.com

OpenHydro Tidal Turbine Project – design, procurement, deployment, and Canada project management: 
Adam Holland
T: +44 (0) 28 9066 7914
E: adam.holland@rpsgroup.com