Sustainable Marine Energy Joins Ocean Energy Europe

Sustainable Marine Energy (SME) is the newest member of Ocean Energy Europe.

Based in the Isle of Wight, Sustainable Marine Energy is a developer of an integrated support structure for tidal energy convertors – PLAT-O.

PLAT-O, addresses the sectors two biggest challenges:

• Dramatically reducing installation and maintenance costs
• Enabling deployment in deeper water where over 2/3 of the UK resource is located.

PLAT-O achieves this by reducing the self-drag and mass of the support structure, and enables installation and maintenance access to be undertaken without the need for heavy lifts. It is taut-moored, and positioned mid-water, utilising buoyancy to resist the thrust and drag forces induced by the tidal energy convertors and the structure.

SME’s technology offers a number of key features and benefits to developers:

• Elimination of water depth constraints
• A stable platform below the highly energetic wave interaction zone
• Optimum position in water column for power extraction
• Housing of power electronics and control systems, and access at the surface
• Robust, yet compliant; reduces loads imposed on tidal turbine drive trains
• Scalability (suitable for small-scale and utility-scale projects)
• Reduced footprint compared with catenary moored systems
• Can be anchored in any type of seabed, and is tolerant of uneven terrain.
• Compatibility with most leading turbine developers’ technology and adaptable for a wide range of tidal turbine configurations

Press release, April 25, 2014; Image: Sustainable Marine Energy