OpenHydro
{{Short description|Defunct Irish turbine developer company}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox company
| name = OpenHydro Group Ltd
| founded = {{Start date and age|2004}}
| defunct = {{End date|2018}}
| hq_location_city = Dublin
| hq_location_country = Ireland
| products = Tidal stream turbines
}}
OpenHydro Group Ltd was an Irish developer of tidal stream turbines, established in 2004.{{Cite conference |last=Ives |first=James |date=May 2009 |title=OpenHydro |url=https://byrnewallace.com/uploadedFiles/Media/Multimedia/Multimedia_List/Open_Hydro_GE_conf.pdf |conference=Green Economy Conference}} It was acquired by Naval Energies (then DCNS) in 2013, however, Naval Energies decided in July 2018 to stop developing tidal turbines and focus on floating wind turbines.{{Cite web |last=Maslin |first=Elaine |date=2013-01-22 |title=OpenHydro to be taken over by DCNS |url=https://www.energyvoice.com/renewables-energy-transition/31565/openhydro-to-be-taken-over-by-dcns/ |access-date=2023-12-28 |website=Energy Voice |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Naval Energies stops its investment in tidal-turbine energy and concentrates on floating wind turbines and ocean thermal energy conversion |url=https://www.naval-group.com/en/naval-energies-stops-its-investment-tidal-turbine-energy-and-concentrates-floating-wind-turbines |access-date=2023-12-28 |website=Naval Group |language=en}} The company subsequently went into liquidation with debts of about €280m.{{Cite web |last=Shumkov |first=Ivan |date=27 July 2018 |title=Naval Energies exits tidal energy, OpenHydro seeks liquidation |url=https://renewablesnow.com/news/naval-energies-exits-tidal-energy-openhydro-seeks-liquidation-621462/ |access-date=2023-12-31 |website=Renewables Now}}
OpenHydro was based in Dublin and had a manufacturing facility in Greenore, Ireland.{{Cite web |date=2018-08-03 |title=Shock for local OpenHydro staff |url=https://www.independent.ie/regionals/louth/dundalk-news/shock-for-local-openhydro-staff/37167834.html |access-date=2023-12-30 |website=Independent.ie |language=en}} Naval Energies unveiled a new factory in Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, France alongside the International Conference on Ocean Energy (ICOE2018) just weeks before exiting the tidal energy market.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2018-06-14 |title=Naval Energies opens Cherbourg tidal turbine plant |url=https://www.offshore-energy.biz/naval-energies-opens-cherbourg-tidal-turbine-plant/ |access-date=2023-12-30 |website=Offshore Energy |language=en-US}}
File:Hydrolienne_installée_par_OpenHydro_dans_la_baie_de_Fundy.jpg
OpenHydro developed an open-centred horizontal-axis turbine, surrounded by a ducting shroud which was claimed to have multiple benefits: increased flow through the turbine, helps align the flow through the turbine, and housed the rim-mounted direct-drive generator thus removing the need for a gearbox.{{Cite journal |last=Allsop |first=Steven |last2=Peyrard |first2=Christophe |last3=Thies |first3=Philipp R. |last4=Boulougouris |first4=Evangelos |last5=Harrison |first5=Gareth P. |date=2017-09-01 |title=Hydrodynamic analysis of a ducted, open centre tidal stream turbine using blade element momentum theory |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0029801817303360 |journal=Ocean Engineering |volume=141 |pages=531–542 |doi=10.1016/j.oceaneng.2017.06.040 |issn=0029-8018|doi-access=free |hdl=10871/28435 |hdl-access=free }}
Various iterations of the OpenHydro turbines were tested in Scotland, France, and Canada.
Testing at EMEC
The first 250 kW Open Hydro turbine was tested at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) Fall of Warness site from 2006, and was connected to the Orkney electricity grid in May 2008.{{Cite web |last=O'Halloran |first=Barry |date=28 May 2008 |title=OpenHydro turbine connected to UK grid |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/business/openhydro-turbine-connected-to-uk-grid-1.1215519 |access-date=2023-12-21 |website=The Irish Times |language=en}} The seventh generation 6 m diameter Open Hydro turbine was installed at the same EMEC site in April 2014.{{Cite web |title=Open Hydro |url=https://www.emec.org.uk/about-us/our-tidal-clients/open-hydro/ |access-date=2023-12-28 |website=EMEC: European Marine Energy Centre |language=en}} The turbine on test at EMEC was mounted on two piles, allowing it to be raised out of the water for maintenance, as shown in the photo (right). However, subsequent turbines sat on the seabed on a gravity foundation. The test structure at EMEC was decommissioned and removed in the summer of 2024, with the piles cut off at the seabed by diamond wire cutting.{{Cite news |date=12 June 2024 |title=Scottish pair to decommission OpenHydro platform |url=https://renews.biz/93800/scottish-pair-to-decommission-openhydro-platform/ |access-date=2024-06-18 |work=ReNEWS.biz}}
File:Openhydro_Triskell_-_Tidal_Turbine_Deployment_Vessel_in_port_of_Cherbourg-7985.jpg
Paimpol–Bréhat tidal farm
{{See also|Paimpol–Bréhat tidal farm}}
Électricité de France (EdF) started to develop a tidal farm at Paimpol–Bréhat, Brittany, France that would use OpenHydro turbines. A 250 kW turbine named L’Arcouest{{NoteTag|Presumably named after the place on the mainland L'Arouest in Ploubazlanec commune, where the ferry to Île-de-Bréhat sails from.|name=}} was tested there between December 2013 and April 2014.{{Cite web |title=Paimpol-Brehat Tidal Farm |url=https://www.power-technology.com/projects/paimpol-brehat-tidal-farm/ |access-date=2023-12-28 |website=Power Technology |language=en-US}} Two 16 m diameter 500 kW turbines were installed in January and May 2016,{{Cite web |date=20 January 2016 |title=EDF installs OpenHydro turbine |url=https://renews.biz/44435/edf-installs-openhydro-turbine/ |access-date=2023-12-28}} however these turbines were never connected to the grid. They were removed for repair in 2017 but not re-installed.{{Cite web |title=Paimpol-Brehat Tidal Demonstration Project {{!}} Tethys |url=https://tethys.pnnl.gov/project-sites/paimpol-brehat-tidal-demonstration-project |access-date=2023-12-28 |website=tethys.pnnl.gov}} The project was cancelled in 2018.
The turbines were lowered to the seabed, and subsequently removed, by a specially designed catamaran barge, the OpenHydro Triskell. The turbine sat between the hulls, partially in the water.
Cape Sharp Tidal
Cape Sharp Tidal was a joint venture of OpenHydro and Emera (the parent company of Nova Scotia Power) that tested OpenHydro turbines at the Fundy Ocean Research Centre for Energy (FORCE).{{Cite web |last=Geschwindt |first=Sion |date=2021-09-14 |title=BigMoon: Reinventing the wheel to harness the tides |url=https://h2oglobalnews.com/bigmoon-reinventing-the-wheel-to-harness-the-tides/ |access-date=2024-01-01 |website=H2O Global News |language=en-US}} A 10 m diameter, 1 MW turbine was deployed in November 2009, however it suffered serious damage to the blades just 20 days later.{{Cite web |last=Patil |first=Anjuli |date=Sep 29, 2015 |title=Cape Sharp Tidal aims to install Bay of Fundy turbine by end of 2015 |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/cape-sharp-tidal-bay-of-fundy-2015-1.3247962 |access-date=2023-12-28 |website=CBC News}} A 2 MW grid-connected turbine was then tested from November 2016 to June 2017.{{Cite web |date=25 July 2018 |title=Cape Sharp dishes second helping |url=https://renews.biz/46923/cape-sharp-dishes-second-helping/ |access-date=2023-12-28 |website=ReNEWS.biz}} In July 2018, a second 2 MW grid-connected turbine was installed. This turbine was left on the seabed when OpenHydro filed for bankruptcy, suggesting it was damaged beyond repair. The device was expected to be removed before the end of 2024 by the next company lined up to test at FORCE Berth D, BigMoon Canada Corp.{{Cite web |title=Nova Scotia selects company to remove Cape Sharp turbine, fill empty berth {{!}} Globalnews.ca |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/7311515/nova-scotia-cape-sharp-turbine/ |access-date=2023-12-28 |website=Global News |language=en-US}} In May 2024, Big Moon Power rebranded as Occurrent Power, however in September it also filed for insolvency. The Provence of Nova Scotia still holds a $4.5-million bond to retrieve the turbine.{{Cite news |last=Gorman |first=Michael |date=5 September 2024 |title='It is very unfortunate': Tidal power developer files for bankruptcy |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/tidal-power-energy-bay-of-fundy-minas-basis-occurrent-1.7313350 |access-date=2025-03-10 |work=CBC News}}
Other projects
OpenHydro was about to develop the 14 MW Normandie Hydro project at La Raz Blanchard, Brittany, to be operated by EDF Energies Nouvelles.{{Cite web |last=Shumkov |first=Ivan |date=26 July 2018 |title=EC says okay to French support for tidal power demo |url=https://renewablesnow.com/news/ec-says-okay-to-french-support-for-tidal-power-demo-621397/ |access-date=2023-12-31 |website=Renewables Now}} They were approved by the European Commission in July 2018 to receive funding from the French government.
In April 2014, OpenHydro and Alderney Renewable Energy announced plans to develop a 300 MW tidal array off the coast of Alderney in the Channel Islands.{{Cite web |last=Downing |first=Louise |date=2014-04-10 |title=OpenHydro to Build $833 Million Tidal-Power Plant in Alderney |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-04-10/openhydro-to-build-833-million-tidal-power-plant-in-alderney |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160910234650/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-04-10/openhydro-to-build-833-million-tidal-power-plant-in-alderney |archive-date=2016-09-10 |access-date=2023-12-31 |website=Bloomberg}} The array was expected to have 150 turbines, rated at 2 MW each.
Notes
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