ABB、潮流発電のScotrenewables Tidal Powerに対し１２００万米ドルの出資を発表: ソフトエネルギー

ABB、潮流発電のScotrenewables Tidal Powerに対し１２００万米ドルの出資を発表

　スイスの重電関連企業のABBグループは、2013年３月にスコットランドの潮流発電機メーカーの Scotrenewables Tidal Power に１２００万米ドル（約１１億５千万円）を出資すると発表しました。Scotrenewables Tidal Powerは、いまや世界中から海洋エネルギー開発の中心地として注目されるようになったEuropean Marine Energy Centre（参考:EMEC）において、2012年に250kWのSR250潮流発電機の試運転を成功させています。今回は、発電実証用モデルとしてスケールアップされた2MW(2000kW) SR2000モデルの開発を加速させるためにこれらの資金が活用されることになります。今年の後半の設置に向けてすでにプロジェクトは進行しています。このシステムは、オークニーで進む Lashy Sound tidal demonstrator projectに採用され設置される最初の商用実証システムとる予定です。

　EMECでテストされたSR250のおおまかなスペックは、

　出力　250kW
　長さ　30m
　重さ　100トン
　姿は、まるで浮上した黄色い潜水艦で、水中に２枚の発電用のプロペラを持っています。

　以前発表されたスケジュールでは、今年中に設置される予定の今回の2MWのSR2000に続き、2017年ころに発電用モデルの10MW機の開発が計画されています。

プレスリリース / ABB、March 13
・ABB leads $12 million investment in tidal power leader Scotrenewables

-----image : 下記ビデオクリップより

Scotrenewables Tidal Power Ltd

(Scotrenewables Tidal Power Ltd,2011/09/07)

"ABB, the global power and automation technology group, has led a $12 million investment in Scotrenewables Tidal Power, a provider of tidal turbine systems, to support the rollout of a new hydrokinetic device and to expand ABB’s renewable energy assets. ABB’s participation was made through its venture capital unit, ABB Technology Ventures (ATV), which invests in early and growth stage companies with technologies of strategic importance to the industries it serves. The investment round included participation from existing strategic investors Total New Energies, a unit of oil major Total, and Fred. Olsen, the Norwegian maritime conglomerate, through its associated Bonheur and Ganger Rolf holding companies.
The funding is being used specifically to roll out a larger and more advanced tidal energy conversion system known as the SR2000. The floating 2 megawatt turbine includes a number of innovations to deliver simplicity, low mass, rapid connection/disconnection and heightened survivability. Scheduled for completion next year, it will be the first of a number of commercial units installed in the Lashy Sound tidal demonstrator project in Orkney, where Scotrenewables is based.

“ABB led a comprehensive review of tidal stream technology and concluded that Scotrenewables was well below its peers in capital outlay per megawatt and overall power delivery cost,” said Grant Allen, senior VP of ATV. “Scotrenewables has designed a remarkably robust hydrokinetic unit which, by nature of its easily accessible floating design bypasses many of the maintenance issues that confront other marine startups.”

Aligning with Scotrenewables is a natural, strategic fit for ABB given the switchgear, transformers, cabling and other electrical gear being used in the containerized design. Through its UK operations, ABB engineers have already been working closely with the company on packaging and integration. The ATV investment complements current competencies in marine energy harvesting through ABB’s prior early-stage investment in Aquamarine, a leader in near-shore wave power development.
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関連
・Major New Investment Announced - 13 December 2012-----Scotrenewables Tidal Power Limited

" Scotrenewables Tidal Power Limited is pleased to announce that it has agreed terms in respect of a major financing package totalling £8.84m which includes £1.24m in public funding from the Scottish Government as well as £7.6m in private investment from a trio of multi-national backers. The deal will see both of SRTP's long-standing investors, shipping and renewable energy specialists Fred. Olsen and oil major TOTAL, participating in this round along with a new investor partner in ABB Technology Ventures. ABB-TV is the venture capital arm of the Swiss power and automation multinational and its decision to invest will allow SRTP access to ABB expertise in key technical areas which complement the offerings of SRTP's existing investors.

Under the terms of the £7.6m investment deal ABB-TV will contribute £5m while the remaining £2.6m will come from SRTP's existing investors. These funds will be injected in two equal tranches the second of which will be linked to the ongoing technical progression of SRTP's proprietary technology. The £1.24m in funding awarded to SRTP in August 2012 under the Scottish Government WATERS 2 scheme was critical in leveraging the agreed terms for this substantial amount of foreign private investment.
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- The Future　Next Generation SRTT- 2MW 'Commercial Scale' Demonstrator