Tidal turbine blade from the SR2000 tidal energy vessel, by Orbital Marine Power Ltd, launched in 2016. This 7.5m-long blade was one of four that sat beneath the 63-metre-long, 500-tonne vessel. During its 12-month test period at the European Marine Energy Centre, off the coast of the Orkney, Scotland, it generated enough electricity to power a thousand homes.

This is a salvaged tidal turbine blade designed and manufactured by Orbital Marine Power, a Scottish company currently at the forefront of innovative floating tidal technology. Tidal technology exploits the power of the tides, caused by the effect of the Moon’s gravity in relationship with the Earth, which is regular and more predictable compared to other forms of renewable energy. The turbine transfered energy from the flow of seawater off the coast of Orkney, where it was connected to a gearbox, that turned a generator, which generated electricity.

The combination of the high-power output of the SR2000 turbine and the fact it was an experimental floating tidal turbine compared to state-of-the-art turbines fixed to the seabed meant the project represented a significant step forward in proving floating tidal turbines could be suitable for future commercial tidal farms/arrays.

This blade was part of Orbital’s SR2000 tidal turbine vessel, which was launched in 2016 and became the world’s most powerful tidal stream turbine at the time. The SR2000 was connected to the national grid via the European Marine Energy Centre. The turbine produced in excess of 3GWh of electricity over its initial 12-month continuous test programme, which powered a thousand homes with low-carbon, renewable electricity.