Tata Steel Provides Steel Plate for Innovative Wave Energy Device
08/12/2011 - Tata Steel has supplied steel manufactured in Scunthorpe and Motherwell to a pioneering wave energy device developed by Aquamarine Power that is capable of generating 800kW of electricity.
Tata Steel has supplied offshore grade steel manufactured in Scunthorpe and Motherwell to a pioneering wave energy device developed by Aquamarine Power that is capable of generating 800kW of electricity.
The machine, called the Oyster 800, was unveiled last month by Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond in Fife. It will now be transported to Orkney, Scotland, for installation later this summer.
Tata Steel Europe’s high-quality steel plate, with enhanced toughness properties, was used to create the device, which is 26 meters long and 16 meters wide. The steel was manufactured at Tata Steel’s Scunthorpe steelworks before being rolled at the company’s plate mill in Dalzell, Motherwell. Tata Steel worked closely with Burntisland Fabrications (BiFab) which built the Oyster 800 at its Scottish facilities.
The Oyster 800 device will capture energy in nearshore waves and convert it into clean sustainable electricity. It incorporates a wave-powered pump to push high pressure water to drive an onshore hydro-electric turbine. The new Oyster 800 can generate 250% more power than Aquamarine Power’s first full-scale device, at a third of the cost, representing a significant step forward in the generation of power from wave energy.
“We have a pivotal role to play in delivering the products and expertise to these pioneering projects and it is extremely satisfying to see that the result of such a close collaboration with our customer is now ready to be installed at sea,” commented Craig Harvey, Renewable Energy Account Manager for Tata Steel.
Tata Steel in Europe recently reorganized its sales and marketing activities into a number of key sectors, including energy and power. The company is focused on delivering steel and related services to customers operating in all areas of energy generation, including the emerging industries of solar, wave, wind and tidal energy. Wave and tidal energy generation could eventually provide a fifth of the UK’s electricity needs.
Tata Steel Europe’s high-quality steel plate, with enhanced toughness properties, was used to create the device, which is 26 meters long and 16 meters wide. The steel was manufactured at Tata Steel’s Scunthorpe steelworks before being rolled at the company’s plate mill in Dalzell, Motherwell. Tata Steel worked closely with Burntisland Fabrications (BiFab) which built the Oyster 800 at its Scottish facilities.
The Oyster 800 device will capture energy in nearshore waves and convert it into clean sustainable electricity. It incorporates a wave-powered pump to push high pressure water to drive an onshore hydro-electric turbine. The new Oyster 800 can generate 250% more power than Aquamarine Power’s first full-scale device, at a third of the cost, representing a significant step forward in the generation of power from wave energy.
“We have a pivotal role to play in delivering the products and expertise to these pioneering projects and it is extremely satisfying to see that the result of such a close collaboration with our customer is now ready to be installed at sea,” commented Craig Harvey, Renewable Energy Account Manager for Tata Steel.
Tata Steel in Europe recently reorganized its sales and marketing activities into a number of key sectors, including energy and power. The company is focused on delivering steel and related services to customers operating in all areas of energy generation, including the emerging industries of solar, wave, wind and tidal energy. Wave and tidal energy generation could eventually provide a fifth of the UK’s electricity needs.
The European operations of Tata Steel (formerly known as Corus) comprise Europe's second-largest steel producer. With main steelmaking operations in the UK and the Netherlands, they supply steel and related services to the construction, automotive, packaging, material handling and other demanding markets worldwide.
Tata Steel is one of the world’s top ten steel producers. The combined group has an aggregate crude steel capacity of more than 28 million tonnes and approximately 80,000 employees across four continents.
