PRESS RELEASE
For immediate use: 07/07/2015
Pictures: Preparation for PLAT-O Installation & PLAT-O Installed at Yarmouth
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PLAT-O Powers Up to Drive Cost of Tidal Energy Down
Sustainable Marine Energy’s (SME) PLAT-O becomes the first tidal energy system to generate
power off the south coast of England. In doing so, SME has demonstrated that the cost of tidal
energy is rapidly coming down with systems like PLAT-O coming on stream.
Jason Hayman, Managing Director of SME, said: “It’s a huge achievement for the team. PLAT-O has
been generating power consistently, reliably and, most importantly has behaved as we predicted it
would. The mooring solution we have developed and employed is as steady as a rock. The
installation operation went very smoothly and it absolutely goes to show that tidal energy devices
can be installed in a low cost and efficient manner. Developing systems and deploying them in these
strong tidal flows is a massive challenge but we have nailed it. The cost of tidal energy is coming
down rapidly with systems like PLAT-O coming on stream.”
Matt Slatter, Chairman of SME, said: “It has been a very busy and very exciting time for the team at
SME. The completion of our testing programme in the Solent is a major milestone and the
culmination of three years of hard work. PLAT-O has lived up to expectations and we are now
focusing on the deployment of PLAT-O at the European Marine Energy Centre and the build of the
second PLAT-O. With the support of Scottish Enterprise, we are building the team to deliver a farm
of PLAT-O systems generating up to 1MW of power at EMEC by the end of 2016."
PLAT-O was fitted with two SCHOTTEL HYDRO turbines and Niels A. Lange, Managing Director of
SCHOTTEL HYDRO, said: “The emerging tidal energy business calls for a way to make this predictable
source of power accessible and commercially viable to satisfy future energy demands. The cooperation between SME and SCHOTTEL HYDRO provides an answer to this need. The submerged
PLAT-O platform and the installed SIT turbines combine the advantages of ease of installation,
maintenance access and safe operation in rough sea conditions. The installation of the PLAT-O array
at EMEC will further demonstrate that the cost-effective delivery of tidal power to the grid is
possible and profitable for commercial projects.”
Leask Marine, an Orkney based company, provided the multi-cat, C-Salvor, along with deck crew and
a dive team with extensive experience working in strong tidal environments for the marine
operations. Douglas Leask, MD of Leask Marine, said: “This is the first substantial marine operation
that we have carried out with SME and it was very straightforward. The plans were clear and the
team were very professional to work with. We have worked with other tidal energy devices and, in
comparison, PLAT-O is an extremely well designed system that enables low cost operations.”
For more information, high-res photos or to arrange interviews please contact:
Clemency Ives, Communications, Sustainable Marine Energy
Email: clemency.ives@sustainablemarine.com
Tel: 01983 297145/ 07717 098836
/more...
Notes to Editors
ABOUT SUSTAINABLE MARINE ENERGY
Sustainable Marine Energy (SME) is a marine engineering company delivering commercially viable
solutions to the tidal industry. SME’s innovative technologies and processes deliver a step change
reduction in cost and enhance through-life performance for customers. SME understands the
challenges faced by the sector. Ensuring that low cost installation and maintenance operations can
be achieved is a fundamental design driver for all of our systems; solving one of tidal energy’s key
challenges and enabling the delivery of commercially viable projects.
SME is developing a turnkey tidal energy system, called PLAT-O. PLAT-O is a moored, buoyant
platform that is positioned mid-water column. It provides a comprehensive systems integration
solution, exporting grid-compatible power from multiple tidal energy convertors. The 100kW PLATO prototype has completed testing off the Isle of Wight. It will be grid-connected at EMEC towards
the end of 2015. A 200kW commercial demonstrator will be deployed in 2016, with three more
systems to follow. SME has also developed anchoring and mooring solutions for energetic marine
environments.
SME’s team is split between East Cowes, Isle of Wight and Kirkwall, Orkney; areas that are wellknown for delivering innovation across the maritime sector. SME has been supported by investment
from private investors, the Low Carbon Innovation Fund, the Angel Co Fund, alongside grant funding
from the Department of Energy and Climate Change, Innovate UK, the Low Carbon KEEP Programme,
the Solent Offshore Renewable Energy Consortium, Future Solent’s Green Growth Fund.
ABOUT PLAT-O
PLAT-O provides a step-change reduction in the cost of delivering tidal energy; one of the Earth’s
most abundant and reliable renewable energy sources. PLAT-O is a buoyant platform that is taut
moored to the seabed using a bespoke anchoring solution that has also been developed by SME. It
sits under the surface of the water and offers a number of other benefits including enhanced yield
and survivability due to its position in the water column, which also ensures that surface vessels can
pass safely overhead. Besides a surface marker buoy, the system is not visible on the surface.
PLAT-O is compatible with most leading tidal turbine technologies, and it can be adapted to suit a
wide range of configurations. SME has the flexibility to scale up the platform and work with
manufacturers of tidal generators to utilise new technologies as they emerge. PLAT-O provides a
systems integration platform which hosts power conditioning and control systems and enables the
export of power from multiple generators through a single export cable.
PLAT-O was designed from the outset to enable low-cost, low-risk operations. All installation and
maintenance operations for PLAT-O can be carried out with small, readily available vessels, avoiding
the need to hire large heavy-lift ships. This also reduces the risks associated with weather downtime
for project developers.
www.sustainablemarine.com
ABOUT SCHOTTEL
SCHOTTEL HYDRO offers its services in three segments: hydrokinetic turbines, semi-submerged
platforms and components, such as turbine hubs and drives. SCHOTTEL HYDRO also includes the
British company TidalStream Ltd. (TSL), in which SCHOTTEL holds the majority of shares, and the
Canadian company Black Rock Tidal Power (BRTP). SCHOTTEL HYDRO is located in Spay, Germany. A
large network of SCHOTTEL sales and service locations ensure customer proximity worldwide.
www.schottel.de/schottel-hydro
ABOUT LEASK MARINE
Established in 1985 Leask Marine Limited has grown to become a world leader in wave and tidal
marine technology supply chain service provider, successfully completing projects for many of the
world’s leading marine energy converters. Leask Marine provide an unprecedented range of
uniquely developed processes and equipment to support the mobilisation, deployment, installation,
commissioning, service and maintenance, inspection and de-commissioning of the world’s foremost
marine energy developers devices.
Leask Marine’s known experience and flexibility allows these worldwide companies to concentrate
on the technological design and manufacture of their marine energy devices as they involve Leask
Marine in their consultancy and project management stage of their ventures. Leask Marine will
advise on the ideal mooring specification for wave and tidal sites and install each company’s
exclusive innovative devices, whether it is for first stage nursery site deployment, or full tidal-current
site installation.
www.leaskmarine.com
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