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"IT Power has considerable experience with the technological and practical issues associated with renewable energy development, carbon emission reduction and rural electrification projects. Since its formation in 1981, IT Power has completed over 1000 projects in over 100 countries."


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Marine Energy

IT Power has long-standing expertise in the development of tidal stream and wave energy converters. Today IT Power is leading the commercialisation of Marine Energy systems through innovation and technology incubation. IT Power's excellent track record in R&D is unprecedented in this sector and it has successfully launched marine technologies, bringing on concepts to pre-commercial status with the landmark installation of world's first commercial scale marine current turbine off the coast of north Devon in 2003. Today the ‘marine current turbine’ has become synonymous with marine power and renewable technologies of the future.

IT Power offers a comprehensive range of technical services to a broad client base, these combined with the long track record IT Power holds provides a unique knowledge and capability in the Marine Energy sector.

IT Power has undertaken large-scale studies of marine resources, including a UK study which showed that some 20% of the country's electricity could be generated by tidal stream turbines, and a European study which identified over a hundred potential tidal stream sites. On a smaller scale, information about specific areas of the ocean can be obtained from surveys and theoretical modelling. IT Power has worked on several projects involving numerical tidal and wave analysis to predict energy output.  Today IT Power is leading the commercialisation of Marine Energy systems through innovation and technology incubation. IT Power has successfully launched new technologies, bringing on concepts to pre-commercial status. IT Power's excellent track record in R&D is unprecedented.

Activities

  • Resource studies, for governments and project developers, to estimate the potential contribution of Marine Energy to national power needs.
  • Site surveys and resource modeling for specific sites.
  • Specification, commissioning and oversight of marine survey work,
  • Scoping work for Environmental Impact Assessments.
  • Licence applications, planning consents and consultation for marine installations.
  • Engineering design and cost estimation for marine structures and installation work including CFD modelling, hydraulic, mechanical and electrical design.
  • Technical and financial due diligence on the commercial aspects of Marine Energy developments including Techno-Economic modelling.

Example Projects

  • Feasibility Study of Tidal Current Power Generation for Coastal Waters (Orkney & Shetland), EU 1040/92-41.  Loch Linnhe – Pioneering 15kW moored tidal stream turbine-generator in Loch Linnhe, Scotland. This project identified the practical issues involved in tidal stream power generation and was the first ever demonstration of tidal stream power generation. Through the project, IT Power gained 'hands-on' practical experience with the design, construction, deployment and recovery of a tidal stream power generator. In addition, the major issues that would affect the development of larger tidal stream turbines were first identified.
  • Marine Energy inputs to various sustainable energy studies undertaken for the EU, UN and Small Islands Developing States.  Philippines Tidal Resource – This project assisted the Government of the Philippines to determine the economically viable contribution that might be expected from the local marine current energy resource.
  • Tidal Stream – Assessment of the prospects for the commercial exploitation of tidal stream in UK waters, identifying areas of greatest uncertainty and risk.
  • Optimising the Performance (Electrical and Economic) of Tidal Current Turbines, EU JOR3-CT-98-0205. OptCurrent – Tidal modelling and marine current turbine optimisation (funded by the European Commission). The objectives of this project were to identify the necessary tidal regime and define the requisite system parameters for the optimisation of the tidal turbine. This required detailed consideration of the design concept to identify the critical factors affecting the cost of tidal stream turbine generation. These factors included key environmental and design parameters, all of which have an impact on the cost of generation within a generic site description.
  • World’s first Pilot Project for the Exploitation of Marine Currents at a Commercial Scale, EU JOR3-CT98-0202.  Cenex – Research into Tidal and Marine Currents technologies.  Assessment of resources and technological issues relating to the possible exploitation of offshore marine currents as an energy source.
  • River current turbine for irrigation pumping, Juba, Sudan.

For further information please contact us

Brochures:

  • Marine Energy- Technology Innovation and Project Development Services