A composite thermoset epoxy resin tidal turbine blade designed by Orbital Marine Power and used as part of their SR2000 turbine, which was launched in 2016. It generated over 3GWh of electricity over a 12-month continuous test programme off the coast of the Orkney Islands, where it was connected to the UK grid via the European Marine Energy Centre.

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 reliable compared to other forms of renewable energy. A turbine is a machine that takes energy from the flow or movement of a fluid, in this case liquid in the form of water, and is connected to a gearbox that turns a generator to create 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 UK grid via the European Marine Energy Centre. The turbine produced in excess of 3GWh of electricity over its initial 12 month continuous test programme.