World’s most powerful tidal turbine switched on

The world’s most powerful tidal turbine has been connected to the national grid, at a site off Eday.

Orbital Marine Power’s O2 has now begun grid-connected power generation at the European Marine Energy Centre’s Fall of Warness test site.

The turbine is anchored at the site, where a subsea cable connects the 2MW offshore unit to the local onshore electricity network.

Orbital CEO, Andrew Scott, said: “This is a major milestone for the O2 and I would like to commend the whole team at Orbital and our supply chain for delivering this pioneering renewable energy project safely and successfully.

“Our vision is that this project is the trigger to the harnessing of tidal stream resources around the world to play a role in tackling climate change whilst creating a new, low-carbon industrial sector.”