Marine energy developer Minesto is planning to expand the commercial roll-out of its Deep Green tidal energy technology in Holyhead Deep, North Wales, increasing its installed tidal energy array capacity to 80MW.
The Swedish firm has developed a technology, which sees a turbine tethered to the seafloor but able to move around, like a kite.
Minesto initially plans to install its first 0.5 MW commercial-scale demonstrator this year – backed with EU funds through the Welsh Government. The firm would then develop the Holyhead Deep site in three phases as part of a deploy-and-monitor approach. Minesto says this gradual expansion would see Minesto taking the Deep Green technology from demonstrator to full industrial roll-out.
Minesto has submitted a scoping report to UK consenting authorities Marine Management Organization (MMO) and Natural Resources Wales (NRW), asking for their scoping opinion for an 80MW development.
Xodus Group has done an in-depth study analysing the site’s capacity and concludes that the 9sq km area in Holyhead Deep, for which Minesto currently holds an Agreement for Lease for 10MW from the Crown Estate, is suitable for future deployment of up to 80MW installed capacity of Deep Green power plants.
Dr Martin Edlund, CEO of Minesto, says: “This expansion enables economies of scale without us having to conduct parallel and costly site development. We will be able to take greater advantage of the asset base of our operational organization, partner collaborations and the supply chain in Wales and the UK.
“Our projection of an 80MW project in Holyhead Deep gives a levelized cost of energy (LCOE) which is 50% lower than for a 10 MW project. This substantial scale-up of the project’s commercial strength will make it even more attractive to site investors. Taking this step also means that we are creating early opportunities for Minesto to sell Deep Green power plants to the newly incorporated site development company Holyhead Deep,” says Dr Edlund.
The cost reduction also applies on the Deep Green technology itself, which would move several generations in its evolution through the volumes of an 80MW installation in Holyhead Deep.