05 May 2011 10:05:11
Successful future predicted for innovative marine energy device
Pre-commercial testing on an innovative marine energy device is to take place in the UK later this year.
Nautricity is to begin testing its CoRMaT device in September and has confirmed there is already significant interest in the second generation technology.
CoRMaT is a counter-rotating turbine, which can be used in water of depths up to 500m. The researchers behind the free-floating device believe the design will enable it to withstand strong tidal flows which would damage other technologies.
Speaking to BusinessGreen, David Pratt, co-founder and director of Nautricity, said an agreement has been signed to deploy the CoRMaT system at a 50MW UK project, and talks are underway in relation to two Canadian developments.
"While Scotland was quick to realise the value of its tidal resources, other countries are catching up. Ideally, we'd like to have stock holdings in schemes in several countries within five years," he added.
The Carbon Trust released research earlier in the week suggesting the UK marine energy sector could be worth £76 billion by 2050, with Chile, Korea and America and Western European countries being named as key export markets.
