Dutch tidal testing centre hits water with array of Tocardo turbines in Afsluitdijk, the Netherlands
The Tidal Testing Centre officially launched a pilot with three Tocardo T1 tidal turbines in Afsluitdijk closure dam, the Netherlands on 20 February.
It is for the first time Tocardo's turbines are installed closely together in an array.
The three turbines are expected to have a capacity of more than 300kW. If the pilot proves succesful, the project partners want to increase the number of turbines to 15, with a capacity of up to 2 MW.
The array of three tidal turbines in one of the discharge sluices in the Afsluitdijk at Den Oever.
Energy neutral dam
The pilot installation was officially commisioned into service by governor Jaap Bond of Province Noord-Holland and governor Hans Konst of Province Fryslân.
Governor Konst said: "The opening of the new pilot plant is a new step in our ambition for renewable energy. If the technology proves itself, we can combine it with the planned reinforcement of the closure dam. In that case we can raise the protection against flooding, and realize an energy neutral dam at the same time".
Experience in turbine arrays
Tocardo director Hans van Breugel said: "The turbines will give us vital data and experience in turbine arrays. As the world’s only turbine manufacturer capable of installing this type of multi-turbine installation, we can now monitor the array in turbulent waters and see how the turbines interact."
The pilot project is managed by Dutch Tidal Testing Centre, a partner of Tocardo, and energy company Greenchoice will buy and distribute the electricity via the Dutch grid.
The Tidal Testing Centre is already producing electricity with a single Tocardo turbine at a nearby location since 2008.
At ebb tide 15 sluices in the Afsluitdijk at Den Oever discharge fresh water from the lake IJsselmeer (right) into the Waddensea (left).
Public-private energy dam
Dutch national agency for public works Rijkwaterstaat is preparing a mayor reinforcement of the 32 km long closure dike. In joint cooperation with local authorities and private companies Rijkswaterstaat wants to broaden the reinforcement project.
Several research institutes and private companies have joined the agency, studying options to combine a higher and sufficient safety level for the hinterland and the production of sustainable energy.
One of the innovative ideas led to the opening of a pilot plant last year by Red Stack to produce electricity directly from the difference in salt concentration in the surface water on each side of the dam.
This news item is based on a press release published on the website of Energising Deltas (in Dutch only).
Also read on this website
● Dutch King opens world's first RED power plant driven on fresh-salt water mixing, 26 November 2014
● Hannover Messe 2014: Energising deltas envisions levees to produce sustainable energy, 9 April 2014
● Tocardo puts three additional turbines in array at Tidal test facility Afsluitdijk, the Netherlands, 29 July 2013
More information
Tidal Testing Centre
Den Oever, the Netherlands
+31 227 726 200
www.tidaltesting.nl
Tocardo
Den Oever, the Netherlands
+31 227 726 200
www.tocardo.com