SeaGen
{{Short description|Large-scale tidal stream generator (2008–2019)}}
{{use dmy dates|date=January 2021}}
{{About|the first large scale commercial tidal stream generator|the American biotechnology company|Seagen}}{{Infobox power station
| name = SeaGen
| name_official =
| image = SeaGen installed.jpg
| image_size =
| image_caption = Commercial tidal stream generator — SeaGen — in Strangford Lough. The visible wake is indicative of the power of the tidal current.
| image_alt =
| location_map_size =
| location_map_caption = Location of SeaGen in Northern Ireland
| location_map_alt =
| coordinates = {{coord|54|22|7.2|N|5|32|45.8|W|region:GB_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_ref =
| country = Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
| location = Strangford Narrows between Strangford and Portaferry
| status = Decommissioned
| construction_began =
| commissioned = April 2008
| decommissioned = July 25 2019
| cost =
| owner = SIMEC Atlantis Energy Limited
| operator =
| tide_technology =
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| ps_units_operational =
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| ps_units_planned =
| ps_units_cancelled =
| ps_units_decommissioned = 2 x 0.6 MW
| ps_electrical_capacity = 1.2 MW
| ps_electrical_cap_fac =
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SeaGen was the world's first large scale commercial tidal stream generator.{{Cite journal
| last1 = Douglas | first1 = C.A.
| last2 = Harrison | first2 = G.P.
| last3 = Chick | first3 = J.P.
| title = Life cycle assessment of the Seagen marine current turbine
| url=https://commerce.metapress.com/content/l2525g3001286200/resource-secured/?target=fulltext.pdf&sid=vwpwqjm0htfuvn45hmy4wf45&sh=journals.pepublishing.com
| format = PDF
| year= 2008
| accessdate = 2008-07-10
| doi = 10.1243/14750902JEME94
| journal = Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part M: Journal of Engineering for the Maritime Environment
| volume = 222
| issue = 1
| pages = 1–12
| publisher= Professional Engineering Publishing| bibcode = 2008PIMEM.222....1D
| s2cid = 111126521
| hdl = 20.500.11820/935cdfa5-aeed-423c-aa52-f51c5e5753ef
| hdl-access = free
}}
{{cite news
| url=https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/green-living/the-rise-of-british-sea-power-799630.html
| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080327091844/http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/green-living/the-rise-of-british-sea-power-799630.html
| url-status=dead
| archive-date=27 March 2008
| title=The rise of British sea power
| newspaper= The Independent
| date=2008-03-23
| accessdate=2008-07-30}}
{{cite news
| url= http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/science_technology/power+generation+the+new+wave/1907547
| title= Power generation: the new wave
| author= Julian Rush
| publisher= Channel 4
| date=2008-03-31
| accessdate=2008-07-30}}
It was four times more powerful than any other tidal stream generator in the world at the time of installation.
{{cite news
| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/7233829.stm
| title=Sea change for energy generation
| author=Arthur Strain
| publisher=BBC
| date=2008-02-08
| accessdate=2008-07-10}}
It was decommissioned by SIMEC Atlantis Energy Limited in summer 2019, having exported 11.6 GWh to the grid since 2008.{{Cite web |date=2019-07-26 |title=Atlantis Successfully Decommissions 1.2 MW SeaGen Tidal System in Industry First |url=https://simecatlantis.com/2019/07/26/meygen-operational-update-3-2/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190903161227/https://simecatlantis.com/2019/07/26/meygen-operational-update-3-2/ |archive-date=2019-09-03 |access-date=2019-09-03 |website=SIMEC Atlantis Energy |language=en-GB}}
The first SeaGen generator was installed in Strangford Narrows between Strangford and Portaferry in Northern Ireland. Strangford Lough was also the site of the first known tide mill in the world, the Nendrum Monastery mill where remains dating from 787 CE have been excavated.
History
Marine Current Turbines, the developer of SeaGen, demonstrated its first prototype of a tidal stream generator in 1994 with a 15 kilowatt system in Loch Linnhe, off the west coast of Scotland. In May 2003, the prototype for SeaGen, '{{visible anchor|SeaFlow}}', was installed off the coast of Lynmouth, North Devon, England. Seaflow was a single rotor turbine which generated 300 kW but was not connected to the grid. SeaFlow was the world's first offshore tidal generator, and no larger turbines were installed until SeaGen.
{{cite web |title=Case Studies for Schools: Tidal Power |url=http://www.berr.gov.uk/energy/sources/renewables/schools/case-studies/tidal/page23016.html |archive-url=https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20090609054344/http://www.berr.gov.uk/energy/sources/renewables/schools/case-studies/tidal/page23016.html |archive-date=2009-06-09 |accessdate=2008-07-10 |publisher=Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform}}
The first (and only) SeaGen generator was installed in Strangford Narrows between Strangford and Portaferry in Northern Ireland, in April 2008 and was connected to the grid in July 2008.{{Cite web |date=17 July 2008 |title=World's first commercial-scale tidal power system feeds electricity to the National Grid |url=http://www.marineturbines.com/3/news/article/10/world_s_first_commercial_scale_tidal_power_system_feeds_electricity_to_the_national_grid__/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080727045035/http://www.marineturbines.com/3/news/article/10/world_s_first_commercial_scale_tidal_power_system_feeds_electricity_to_the_national_grid__/ |archive-date=2008-07-27 |website=Marine Current Turbines}} It generated 1.2 MW for between 18 and 20 hours a day while the tides are forced in and out of Strangford Lough through the Narrows.{{cite news |author=Brittany Sauser |date=2008-07-29 |title=Tidal Power Comes to Market. A large-scale tidal-power unit has started up in Northern Ireland |publisher=Technology Review Inc., Massachusetts Institute of Technology |url=http://www.technologyreview.com/Energy/21142/ |accessdate=2008-07-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080804110058/https://www.technologyreview.com/Energy/21142/ |archive-date=2008-08-04}}
During the commissioning of the system, a software error caused the blades of one of the turbines to be damaged. This left the turbine operating at half power until autumn 2008.
{{cite news
| url= http://www.marineturbines.com/3/news/article/11/delay_in_commissioning_one_of_seagen_s_rotors/
| title= Delay in commissioning one of SeaGen's rotors
| publisher= Marine Current Turbines
| date=2008-07-22
| accessdate=2008-07-30}}
Full power operation was finally achieved on 18 December 2008.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/7790494.stm|title=Tidal energy system on full power|date=2008-12-18|publisher=BBC|accessdate=2009-06-25}}
Marine Current Turbines was sold to Siemens in 2012. Siemens sold the company and technology to rival Atlantis Resources (SIMEC Atlantis Energy) in 2015.
{{cite news
| url=http://www.hydroworld.com/articles/2015/05/atlantis-strikes-deal-to-acquire-marine-energy-tech-company-from-siemens.html
| title=Atlantis strikes deal to acquire marine energy tech company from Siemens
| publisher=Hydro Review
| date=2015-05-01
| accessdate=2018-02-05}}
The power generation system was shut down, decommissioned, and removed in stages between 2016 and 2019.
{{cite news
| url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-35416282
| title=Strangford tidal energy turbine to be removed
| publisher=BBC
| date=2016-01-27
Technology
SeaGen generator weighed {{Convert|300|MT|LT|abbr=on}}.
{{cite news
| url= http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/environment/worlds-first-as-16312m-turbine-installed-
| title= World's first as £12m turbine installed in Strangford Lough
| newspaper= Belfast Telegraph
| date=2008-03-31
| accessdate=2008-07-30}}
It consisted of twin axial-flow rotors, each driving a generator through a gearbox like a hydro-electric or wind turbine. The gearboxes were three-stage, with two planetary and one spur, giving a 69.8:1 speed increase.{{Cite web |date=2007-08-01 |title=MCT goes down to the sea again |url=https://www.modernpowersystems.com/features/featuremct-goes-down-to-the-sea-again/ |access-date=2024-01-05 |website=Modern Power Systems}} The turbines rotated at around 12 rpm, each with a 16 m diameter (200 m² swept area). Adding two rotors doubled the power, for less than twice the cost. MCT were thus considering further multi-rotor systems in future, e.g. six 24 m diameter rotors were claimed to generate over 8 MW.
The SeaGen turbines had a patented feature by which the rotor blades can be pitched through 180 degrees allowing them to operate in both flow directions – on ebb and flood tides. The company claimed a capacity factor of 0.59 (average of the last 2000 hours). The power units of each system were mounted on arm-like extensions either side of a tubular steel monopile some {{convert|3|m|ft}} in diameter and the arms with the power units could be raised above the surface for safe and easy maintenance access. The SeaGen was built at Belfast's Harland and Wolff's shipyards.
{{cite news
| url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2008/mar/31/tidal.power
| title= Tidal power comes to Northern Ireland
| author=Henry McDonald
| newspaper= Guardian
| date=2008-03-31
| accessdate=2008-07-30}}
Environmental impact
Image:Strangfordloughmap.jpg twice a day.]]
SeaGen had been licensed to operate over a period of 5 years, during which it was accompanied by an environmental monitoring programme to determine the precise impact on the marine environment.
{{cite web
|url = http://www.all-energy.co.uk/UserFiles/File/2007DavidErwin.pdf
|title = Environmental monitoring, liaison and consultation concerning the MCT Strangford Lough Turbine
|author = David G Erwin
|accessdate = 2008-07-10
|url-status = dead
|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20081011132433/http://www.all-energy.co.uk/UserFiles/File/2007DavidErwin.pdf
|archivedate = 2008-10-11
}}
No major impacts on marine mammals were detected in three-years of operational monitoring. Seals appeared to avoid the device, or transit passed at slack water when the turbine was not generating (i.e. not turning). While there was some small-scale displacement of marine birds, overall numbers in the Strangford Narrows did not change.{{Cite report |url=https://tethys.pnnl.gov/sites/default/files/publications/Final_EMP_report_SeaGen.pdf |title=SeaGen Environmental Monitoring Programme. Final Report |last=Royal Haskoning |date=16 January 2011 |id=9S8562/R/303719/Edin |via=Tethys}}
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References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{stack|{{Portal|Northern Ireland|Water|Renewable energy}}}}
- [http://www.marineturbines.com/ Marine Current Turbines Ltd].
{{Electricity generation in Ireland}}
Category:Tidal stream generators