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62 st / March 2015 www.sea-technology.com Subsea Connectivity For Tidal Turbine Project Sabella S.A.S. has ordered a com- plete MacArtney (Esbjerg, Denmark) connectivity solution for its new in- dustrial-scale Sabella D10 tidal stream turbine project. Over the past decade, Sabella has developed an original concept for a screen of tidal turbines positioned on the seafoor. Pre-orientated in the di- rection of natural tidal currents and empowered by symmetrical rotor blades, the turbines capture the energy generated by the shift between ebb and fow. The rotor is activated even by modest current motion and powers a generator to export the electricity pro- duced to the land-based grid via a sub- marine cable anchored and embedded at its landfall. After successfully installing and testing the Sabella D03 demonstrator turbine unit, Sabella has successfully secured the funds to install and test its full-scale Sabella D10 0.5-kilowatt- rated and 1-megawatt maximal output power turbine in the Fromveur Strait near South Ushant (Brittany, France). Future Sabella tidal farm sites could feature units with a capacity up to 2 megawatts. For successfully transmitting the harnessed tidal power to the onshore grid, the Sabella D10 relies on a cus- tom MacArtney subsea connectivity solution. Based on a GreenLink Inline Termination for connecting the turbine to the grid via the dynamic subsea export cable, the solution also com- prises a couple of hang-off stress ter- minations, a custom-made fange with various medium- and low-voltage con- nectors for the turbine nacelle, a junc- tion box jumper cable and various test cables. Tidal Testing Management In Turners Falls The Marine Renewable Energy Col- laborative (MRECo) has entered into an agreement with the Conte Fish Re- search Center to manage tidal testing in its large fumes in Turners Falls, Mas- sachusetts. Tidal energy is capable of providing very reliable and predictable power to the electrical grid. While tidal, like most renewable energy sources, is not continuous, it is more predictable than wind or solar, and its generation de- vices sit below the water, out of sight. There are many communities glob- ally that are not grid connected, but 85 percent of the world's population lives within 50 miles of an ocean. Marine energy promises an almost limitless supply of energy, but the challenge of making the technology capable of withstanding ocean conditions must be met. In addition to helping new compa- nies commercialize their technologies, MRECo has partnered with the town of Edgartown on Martha's Vineyard to develop a tidal project in Muskeget Channel, between Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, Massachusetts. Massachusetts Offshore Wind Auction Sells Two Leases BOEM held the fourth competi- tive lease sale for renewable energy in U.S. federal waters offshore Mas- sachusetts for potential wind energy development. The auction consisted of two rounds before determining RES America Developments, Inc. (Broom- feld, Colorado) and Offshore MW LLC (Princeton, New Jersey) as the provi- sional winners of Lease Area OCS-A 0500 (187,523 acres) and OCS-A 0501 (166,886 acres), respectively. Winning bids totaled $448,171 in high bids. The total acreage of these two areas nearly doubles the amount of acreage leased for wind energy through competitive sales. Lease OCS-A 0502 (248,015 acres) and Lease OCS-A 0503 (140,554 acres) did not receive bids. If fully developed, the area leased could support approximately 2 giga- watts of commercial wind generation, enough electricity to power more than 700,000 homes. BOEM has previously awarded fve competitive wind energy leases off the Atlantic coast: two offshore Massachu- setts-Rhode Island, two offshore Mary- land and another offshore Virginia. Including the Massachusetts off- shore wind auction, competitive lease sales have generated more than $14.5 million in high bids for more than 700,000 acres in federal waters. BOEM expects to hold another com- petitive lease sale offshore New Jersey later this year. The two leased areas are in the Mas- sachusetts Wind Energy Area, which starts about 12 nautical miles offshore Massachusetts. Each lease will have a preliminary term of one year, during which the lessee will submit a site as- sessment plan to BOEM for approval. ClassNK, WEIT Form Renewable Energy Alliance ClassNK (Tokyo, Japan) has strength- ened its renewable energy activities by agreeing to form a capital alliance with the Wind Energy Institute of Tokyo Inc. (WEIT). ClassNK will acquire around 30 percent of WEIT's shares through a third-party allotment, and a nonexecu- tive director will represent ClassNK on the Institute's Board of Directors. Building on WEIT's analytical exper- tise and proven track record, ClassNK is strengthening its resources to meet the increasing demand for services, such as the independent third-party Marine Warranty Survey (MWS). This service evaluates potential operational risks in the design, transportation, and installation of renewable energy proj- ects established offshore and aids in securing fnancing and insurance for new projects. The survey focuses on key factors, such as sea fastening and cable laying, and will be provided through ClassNK's Renewable Energy Department. Final Certifcation for Haliade 150 Wind Turbine The Alstom (Levallois-Perret, France) Haliade 150 6-megawatt off- shore wind turbine installed on the Carnet site in France has secured its f- nal certifcation from DNV GL (Høvik, Norway). This is a major step and pre- requisite for commercial operation, demonstrating the wind turbine's over- all effciency. The Haliade will be produced in the Saint-Nazaire plant. It has already been chosen for the Block Island proj- ect in the United States and by EDF-EN for three French projects representing a total of 1.5 gigawatts. Another Haliade wind turbine has been installed off the coast of Belgium at the Belwind site to verify the pro- cedures for wind turbine production, installation, commissioning and op- eration. n marine renewables