French tidal energy technology developer, Blue Shark Power System, will install one of its turbines off the coast of Djibouti in early 2019 as part of a large-scale project planned for the country situated on the Horn of Africa. MarineEnergy.biz contacted the company, whose CEO Philippe Rebboah said that Blue Shark Power will first test a 500kW tidal energy device for several months before installing a 200MW tidal energy plant in Djibouti waters, which will be set up in phases. Blue Shark Power is also developing a 300kW device for a tidal energy project in China, for which it teamed up with Chinese developer LHD. This project will see the French company’s turbine being tested on LHD’s modular tidal energy platform, installed off the Zhejiang Province. The tidal technology developed by Blue Shark Power comprises two horizontal-axis turbines mounted on the sides of a supporting submersed structure. The system is supported by the buoyant structure of the device and tethered to the seabed with a mooring rope. Two asynchronous generators are installed on board and mounted on the turbines shafts through a gearbox. Each generator is electrically controlled by inverters, both for grid connection purposes and in order to reach optimal working conditions at different current speed, according to the information found at the company’s website. MarineEnergy.biz Staff
France-based Blue Shark Power System plans to test a 500 kW tidal energy device off the coast of Djibouti, starting in several months, before the phased installation of a 200 MW tidal energy plant there. Blue Shark's tidal power technology comprises two horizontal-axis turbines mounted on a supporting submerged structure.