Voith Hydro and RWE Innogy Form Joint Venture in Ocean Current Power Generation
20 February 2009
Voith Hydro (Voith Siemens Hydro Power Generation) and RWE Innogy have formed a joint venture—Voith Hydro Ocean Current Technologies—to accelerate the development, manufacture and marketing of ocean (i.e., permanent, rather than tidal) current power generation technologies.
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| Rendering of a prototype Voith Hydro ocean current generator. Click to enlarge. |
Within the frame-work of its venture capital activities, RWE Innogy will make a significant capital investment and hold a 20% in the new company. Voith Hydro—which acquired Scottish wave energy company Wavegen in 2005—will be the majority shareholder with 80%. The total investment guaranteed by both partners over the next few years equals more than €30 million (US$38.5 million).
The establishment of the joint venture is subject to the approval of the relevant anti-trust authorities.
This form of renewable power generation has a significant advantage: ocean currents flow continuously and can therefore be predicted with maximum accuracy. As a result, the volume of electricity fed into the grid can be forecast much more precisely than that of any other renewable energy carrier. It is therefore imperative that its potential is tapped.
—Prof. Dr. Fritz Vahrenholt, Chairman of the Board of RWE Innogy
A Voith Hydro 110 kW prototype direct drive ocean current power generator, featuring a design without gearbox and rotor blade adjustment, will be deployed and tested off the South Korean coast by the end of 2009. This initial test plant will form part of a planned power station project that—in the medium term—will generate electricity from ocean currents to produce several hundred megawatts. Further test plants in Europe will follow.
Voith is also developing and deploying systems for wave energy generation and tidal current generation.
Through the operation and construction of its offshore wind parks, RWE Innogy has gained experience in working in this area; the company has also been active in the field of power generation from ocean energy. The company also plans to construct a 4 MW wave power station off the Scottish coast this year. Additionally, there are plans for the construction of a 10.5-MW ocean current power station off the Welsh coast in 2012.
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Wonder what the eco freaks will come up with for an excuse to put the kabosh on this excellent development.
Any guesses?
Posted by: Mannstein | 20 February 2009 at 12:51 PM
Windmills ruin the beauty of our countryside, kill innocent birds and sap the cool breezes that make life so enjoyable.
Now Big Wind wants to despoil our pristine sea beds, brutally kill the poor fish and bring the majestic Atlantic heat conveyor to a halt by cowardly hiding windmills underwater.
Make light of this at you own peril, Mannstein.
………………………………………………………….S. B. Squarepants
Posted by: ToppaTom | 20 February 2009 at 08:30 PM
I imagine the problem will be cost - cost of development, building, depolying and maintaining.
+ predictable power is not the same as continuous power.
Even if you know that there will be less power at certain times a year in advance, you still have to have alternate supplies.
You need soemting like hydro to back it up, or else you have to keep thermal stations alive.
Posted by: mahonj | 21 February 2009 at 04:51 AM