ORPC Ireland and Queen’s University Belfast have successfully completed the deployment and commencement of trials of a state-of-the-art tidal energy turbine at the Strangford Lough tidal test site in Northern Ireland.
The successful deployment of the tidal energy turbine
This milestone marks ORPC’s first electricity generation outside of North America, following seventeen installations in the United States and Canada, consolidating its commitment to expanding clean energy generation internationally.
The deployment is part of the X-Flow project, led by Queen’s University Belfast and supported by the Centre for Advanced Sustainable Energy ( CASE ) through the Green Innovation Challenge Fund.
The aim is to analyse the performance of this cross-flow turbine under real tidal conditions, following initial tests carried out in the towing tank of the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche in Italy, within the CRIMSON project funded by the European Commission.
Senior Lecturer at Queen’s University Belfast, Carwyn Frost, said the X-Flow project at Strangford Lough would allow the assessment of ” how turbulent flow conditions ” affect the performance and durability of the ORPC turbine.
“ Our test site at Queen’s provides a unique opportunity for developers to monitor their technology in real tidal flows, which is essential for future predictive maintenance and operational optimisation approaches ,” Frost explained.
ORPC Ireland’s European Operations Director, Patrick Cronin, highlighted the value of the project in maximising the efficiency and sustainability of its energy systems.We are delighted to collaborate with Queen’s University, the X-Flow team and our local industrial partners on this first deployment in Europe. This joint effort is an important milestone in our mission to bring clean and predictable energy to global markets. “Cronin said.
In the next phase, the turbine will undergo multiple tests to analyze its performance in different flow scenarios. In addition, the data collected will contribute to the development of advanced numerical models that will improve the accuracy of tidal energy turbine design in the future.
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