Partners Deliver Modular Floating Tidal Energy Platform

A group of offshore companies, including Bluewater, Damen and Van Oord among others, has partnered for a floating tidal energy platform a project to generate clean electricity, marking the first time that a floating tidal platform is used for electricity production into the Dutch grid.

Set to become operational in the first half of 2015, the BlueTEC platform, which will be moored near Texel in the Waddenzee, is of modular design and uses a new type of permanent mooring lines. It will also serve as a trial for remote locations worldwide, such as islands in Indonesia, Philippines or the Pacific.

“This platform can be shipped and installed anywhere in the world, to provide clean electricity in remote areas and small islands, replacing expensive and polluting diesel generators,” said Allard van Hoeken, Head of New Energy at Bluewater Energy Services. “This smaller test platform, while ready to use in remote locations, is also a stepping stone for our larger 2MW platform development.”

“Together with Bluewater we have adapted our modular barge product to a modular tidal power generation platform that can be shipped as containers to any location in the world,” said Arnout Damen, COO of Damen Shipyards. “After container transport the modules can be assembled to shipbuilding quality vessels”.

The cooperation between Bluewater, Damen, Van Oord, Tocardo, TKF, Vryhof, NIOZ, Nylacast and TTC bundles experience in the maritime and offshore industry, in the field of design and operation of mooring platforms, shipbuilding, offshore dredging and installation, tidal turbines, power cables, anchors, research at sea and synthetic materials.

The BlueTEC platform is developed for cost effective installation, operations and maintenance of tidal turbines. BlueTEC floats and can be towed to location without heavy lifting at sea. It accommodates all vulnerable electronics equipment inside the unit, where it is dry and protected, yet allows for easy access for inspection, maintenance and repair. The platform can be disconnected from the moored location and taken to a local port for heavy repair when needed.

The Texel platform is the small, simple and robust version of BlueTEC. Aimed at remote locations, it consists of container size modules, can be assembled locally and installed without sophisticated equipment. It holds a 200 KW turbine that can power local villages, cooling facilities and provide lighting at schools which will change local economies. It will be the first time that electricity generated from free flowing tidal currents will be supplied to the island of Texel.