Vestmanna, – In a significant breakthrough for marine energy, Minesto and their collaboration partner, Leask Marine, have successfully installed the Dragon 12 kite system, marking a pivotal moment for tidal energy innovation.
The installation, carried out by Leask Marine, has positioned the Dragon 12 kite system on the quayside in Vestmanna, fully assembled, tested, and ready for the subsequent phases of installation, commissioning, and power production.
This achievement is attributed to the innovative seabed anchor solution, a collaborative effort between Leask Marine and Minesto. The Dragon 12 system incorporates this groundbreaking anchoring technology for the first time, showcasing its viability and efficiency. The seabed anchoring not only reduces costs associated with tidal energy array buildout but also contributes to lowering carbon emissions when compared to traditional gravity-based foundations.
Martin Edlund, CEO of Minesto, expressed satisfaction with the successful placement of the Dragon 12 anchor, stating, “We are very pleased to have the Dragon 12 anchor in place. The solution builds on a new method where a smaller installation vessel carries out 24-hour drilling and grouting of a steel cylinder. We save thousands of tonnes of concrete and steel by moving away from gravity-based foundations. This method promises to become cost effective for future tidal energy arrays, and the carbon footprint is minimal.”
Douglas Leask, managing director of Leask Marine, highlighted the achievement of their revolutionary Submersible Drilling Rig (SDR) technology, stating, “This is a huge achievement for the rig’s first outing, drilling such a large size of pile, lower than 80 meters of water depth, in a tidal site. We express our gratitude to Minesto for their trust in our team, and our new revolutionary Submersible Drilling Rig (SDR) technology that played a pivotal role in this project.”
The successful installation of the Dragon 12 kite system represents a step forward in the pursuit of sustainable and cost-effective tidal energy solutions, showcasing the collaborative efforts of Minesto and Leask Marine in driving innovation within the marine energy sector.