CCR Energy Holds First Workshop Towards a Pioneering Testing Facility for Low-Head Tidal Turbines

CCR Energy is proud to announce their ambition to develop a first-of-a-kind testing facility for innovative bi-directional turbines, designed to capture energy from both the rise and fall in tides. This pioneering project will repurpose an existing tidal water treatment tank at Aberthaw, exemplifying the best use of existing assets to advance green energy technology.

This initiative has brought together an international group of key stakeholders, who recently participated in a tidal range workshop at CCR Energy’s Aberthaw Centre for Energy and Environment, known as ACE2, in Aberthaw. Participants include:

– CCR Energy: Owner and developer of the Aberthaw former Coal Fired Power Station site.

– Severn Estuary Tidal Bar (SETB) (a Welsh SME) and Tidetec(a Norwegian SME): Leading turbine developers focused on cutting-edge low-head tidal technology.

– Jacobs: A global professional technical services firm delivering outcomes and solutions for complex sustainability challenges and critical infrastructure.

– Ferrovial Construction: manages major, complex, multidisciplinary design and construction projects around the world, in sectors including rail, highways, tunnels, marine, airports and energy.

– Tarmac: Specialists in sustainable construction materials and building products.

The group is now collaborating on a plan to develop this unique testing facility, which will deploy advanced low-head, bi-directional turbines. The project promises to support demonstration of the grid scale potential for tidal range and is expected to help catalyse the tidal range industry, both in the UK and internationally.

As part of the envisaged innovation zone at Aberthaw, this project aligns perfectly with CCR Energy’s vision for green energy production. Cardiff Capital Region, with its extensive Severn Estuary coastline boasting the second-highest tidal range in the world, is poised to become a leader in tidal range energy testing and implementation. This endeavour will not only advance green energy production but also create supply chain and job growth opportunities for future tidal range scheme deployments.

“Taking the first steps in the development of this testing facility marks a significant milestone in our mission to innovate within the green energy sector,” said Christian Cadwallader, Interim Managing Director of CCR Energy. “By bringing together industry leading experts and exploiting existing infrastructure, together there is an opportunity to set the stage for groundbreaking advancements in tidal energy technology that could provide benefits significantly beyond the region.”

Arne Kollandsrud, CEO of Tidetec, added, “In the search for the perfect demo-site for showcasing our game-changing turbine solution optimised for two-way generation and pumping, we are confident that Aberthaw is ideal. As a green hub with existing easily accessible infrastructure ready to house a tidal range turbine, we can demonstrate tidal range energy generation, including adaptive pumping complementary to demand. We are really looking forward to working and developing this consortium covering all disciplines of the Tidal Range market.”

The overarching message of this project is clear: Cardiff Capital Region is at the forefront of supporting deployment of tidal range turbine development by convening an international team to spearhead the creation of a demonstrator testing facility. This facility will utilise the existing tidal structure on site, setting the stage for future innovations in tidal energy.