Magallanes Renovables from Galicia to build the first tidal motor park in the world at Wales Coast
The company from Redondela expects the project to be operational in 2026
The United Nations (UN) estimates that 70% of the planet's surface is water, which is why the renewable energy sector has invested countless resources in this scenario. The green industry has been searching for solutions for years to transform the immense force of the tides into energy, and the Galician Magallanes Renovables has just taken the lead. The company from Redondela will build the world's first tidal energy park in the United Kingdom. The technology firm obtained yesterday the "necessary support" from the British Government to install this pioneering structure in Wales.
The renewables company led by Alejandro Marqués de Magallanes has been awarded what is known as the "energy tariff" in Great Britain in this country's auction aimed at tidal projects. "This rate represents a long-term contract for renewable energy generating companies to which it guarantees a fixed price for the electricity produced, which balances the entry of new sources alongside traditional sources such as wind or solar," they explain.
The CEO of Magallanes Renovables highlights the platform they have been improving for five years, Atir 2.0., has obtained certification from Bureau Veritas. It is designed "to be profitable in terms of capital costs and operating costs," they say. Recently, they successfully completed the testing period that began in 2019 on British shores and now it is time to debut on the commercial market.
From now on, Magallanes Renovables team in British waters must work with the horizon set for 2026, when seven marketable platforms must be in operation. "They will harness the energy of Great Britain's tides to generate a clean supply of permanent renewable energy of 10.5 megawatts, the equivalent of the electricity needed by 11,000 homes for a year," they described.
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The platform that Magallanes Renovables has proposed to the ambitious renewable sector is a type of boat 45 meters in length and is equipped with blades "that collect the force of the tides in both directions, in the channels between islands or in the bays and other coastal places. The machinery room is located fifteen meters deep with "easy access." The Galician firm has already "successfully managed to generate electricity discharged through a connection to the Scottish electricity grid."
It is estimated tidal energy, compared to large competitors in the sector such as offshore wind, "could produce 16% of the world's energy needs." It is a fact that it is a Galician company leading this field, in which France also wants to compete.
(Source: La Voz de Galicia)