UPDATE - Orbital's O2 tidal turbine arrives at EMEC

The 2-MW O2 floating tidal energy turbine developed and fabricated by Scotland’s Orbital Marine Power Ltd has arrived in Orkney Waters on April 24 and is now being prepared for installation at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC).

EMEC said in a statement on Monday that after being towed to Orkney from the Port of Dundee by Leask Marine’s new multicat vessel, the O2 turbine will now be temporarily moored at Deer Sound while commissioning is finalised. Installation will take place at the Fall of Warness tidal test site for a long-term project.

The O2 is the third Orbital turbine to be tested at EMEC, but the first one that is a commercial demonstrator. The company hopes that it will become the basis for first commercial sales of the technology.

On Monday, Alistair Carmichael, Member of Parliament (MP) for Orkney and Shetland, pointed at the Northern Isles' enormous tidal power potential.

“What is needed now is support from the Government in order to leverage this potential and get to the next stage in deployment,” Carmichael said. He continued: “If there are any doubters in marine renewables left in government, I would invite them to come see the potential here for themselves.”

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