SIEMENS TECHNOLOGY IN WORLD’S FIRST COMMUNITY TIDAL DEVELOPMENT
Siemens is supplying specialised gear and control technology for the world’s first community tidal power project.
Siemens Industry’s Mechanical Drives in Leeds has supplied a specialised gear unit with electric motor and control system to Nova Innovation, a leader in tidal technology.
The Siemens technology features in the world’s first community-owned tidal power project, based in the Bluemull Sound in Shetland, between the islands of Yell and Unst, the two most northerly inhabited islands in the UK. It is a 30kW unit with three-bladed rotor, and is being deployed in early 2013 to provide power to a local ice-house and industrial estate. The local community will reap the benefits of the project, safeguarding jobs and providing valuable income.
The turbine was designed by Nova Innovation, the Leith-based tidal solutions company, and is currently being built by Steel Engineering in Renfrew. The generating unit, with Siemens gearbox and generator, comes in a watertight housing and changes angle depending on wind direction, which will increase its predicted revenue by up to 40%.
Nova Innovation director Simon Forrest said:
“Siemens have provided us with a complete design technology solution in that the drive and control unit are fully integrated. We are winning more work in this important area, and plans are progressing well for significant growth in the emerging global tidal market. Our units are designed to be reliable, cost-effective to install and to maximise generating efficiency.”
The Bluemull Sound unit is expected to be operational by Spring 2013.
General manager at Siemens Mechanical Drives, Simon Nadin commented: “Tidal technology is developing fast and the UK leads the world in this sector, which has significant potential for greening the UK economy. We are doing everything we can to support emerging tidal specialists such as Nova and are delighted our drives and control units are being selected for such important milestone projects.”
For more information on Siemens visit www.siemens.co.uk/drives or call 0113 385 2500.
ENDS
PHOTO-CAPTION: The new community-owned turbine, powered by Siemens
For more information and photos please contact Bridget Summers on 01723 447424, email bridget@footprintpr.org.uk or Paul Addison on 07808 823011, email pauladdison@siemens.com
Notes to editors:
About Siemens in the UK:
Siemens was established in the United Kingdom 169 years ago and now employs around 13,520 people in the UK. Last year’s revenues were £3.2 billion*. As a leading global engineering and technology services company, Siemens provides innovative solutions to help tackle the world’s major challenges, across the key sectors of energy, industry, infrastructure & cities and healthcare. Siemens has offices and factories throughout the UK, with its headquarters in Frimley, Surrey. The company’s global headquarters is in Munich, Germany. For more information, visit www.siemens.co.uk
* Data includes intercompany revenue. Data may not be comparable with revenue reported in annual or interim reports.
