UK: Rolls-Royce to Sell Tidal Generation Limited to Alstom

Alstom has signed an agreement with Rolls-Royce to acquire Tidal Generation Limited (TGL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Rolls-Royce Plc, specialised in the design and manufacture of tidal stream turbines. Alstom’s acquisition of TGL is expected to be completed within the next few months, subject to closing conditions.

TGL is at the forefront in the design, development and manufacture of tidal stream turbines which capture and convert the energy of tidal streams to generate electrical power. TGL’s first 500kWe unit was successfully installed at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) at Orkney in Scotland. It generated and fed into the grid over 250MWh of electricity – enough power to supply the equivalent of 300 homes – averaging 12 hours of operation each day.

This acquisition reinforces Alstom’s position in renewable power as the company with the broadest and most complete range of products and systems, from hydro to wind, geothermal, biomass and solar. It will complement Alstom’s on-going research and development activities on ocean energies that are based in Nantes, France. It gives Alstom the opportunity to build a complete portfolio of tidal products and technologies which is necessary to cover the wide range of site conditions and to meet all customer needs.

TGL, which is based in Bristol, UK and employs 29 people, will benefit from Alstom’s experience in the energy industry, its global presence in 100 countries and its integrated offer including power generation and transmission.

TGL was the first EMEC located project to receive UK Renewable Obligations Certificate. As part of the Energy Technologies Institute commissioned and co-funded ReDAPT (Reliable Data Acquisition Platform for Tidal) consortium project, TGL’s 1MW tidal turbine will be installed in EMEC’s water by the end of 2012 and will be tested in various operational conditions off Orkney over a two-year period. Detailed environmental and tidal stream information will be measured to help the marine renewable industry understand the challenges that must be addressed for tidal technology to be developed on a commercial scale.

“With this acquisition, Alstom strengthens its position in a promising market and complements an already large offer of cutting-edge renewable energy technologies” said Jérôme Pécresse, President of Alstom Renewable Power. “This new step sets Alstom as a leader in ocean energies, with its Haliade™ 150 offshore wind turbine and its stake in AWS Ocean Energy Ltd, Scotland’s pioneering company in the wave energy, with whom we will provide wave devices for the world’s largest wave farm off the coast of Orkney in Scotland. We now intend to be rapidly in a position to participate to pilot farms projects and develop a tidal turbine commercial offer” added Jérôme Pécresse.

[mappress]

Press release, September 25, 2012; Image: tidalgeneration