Orbital O2 is the latest tidal turbine to be deployed in the waters around Orkney. The turbine’s superstructure which is 74m long, floats on the surface of the water, with rotors attached to its legs which extract energy from the passing tidal flow. It has been deployed in the Fall of Warness held on station in 35m of water, by a four-point mooring system with each mooring chain having the strength to lift over 50 double decker buses. Electricity is transferred from the turbine via a dynamic cable to the seabed and then through a static cable to the local onshore electricity network. The Orbital O2 has the capacity to meet the annual electricity demand of 2,000 homes for the next 15 years.
August 3, 2021