Tidal Instream Energy: a Reality in Southeast Asia
Envirotek, a Singapore-based investment company focused on clean technology, announces its intention to develop commercial tidal instream projects in southeast Asia. The initial focus is on the Philippines. In mid-February 2017, Envirotek, working with an international team of experts, successfully deployed a 62kW SCHOTTEL Instream Turbine (SIT) in the waters off the Sentosa Boardwalk in Singapore. This demonstration project showcases the viability of tidal energy in the region. With more than 7,000 islands, many of which are isolated communities that still have limited access to electricity, a significant opportunity exists in the Philippines to harness the power of the oceans to provide a reliable supply of energy. Most of these communities use diesel generators to provide electricity. Due to high costs of fuel, transportation and handling, the supply is regularly limited to only 4-6 hours a day. Tidal currents regularly flow past many of these islands, providing a readily accessible energy resource.
Envirotek is working with its global partners to develop commercially viable tidal projects, which will benefit the local supply chain and attract inward investments. OceanPixel is presently providing ocean renewable energy suitability analytics and project management to Envirotek. Sustainable Marine Energy (SME) and SCHOTTEL HYDRO have been working on an integrated surface floating platform solution (PLAT-I) for less aggressive sites enabling the exploitation of a greater number of locations to support island communities. SME’s new PLAT-I platform provides a step-change reduction in the cost of delivering tidal energy—one of the Earth’s most abundant and reliable renewable energy sources. PLAT-I floats on the surface of the water and hosts four SIT 250 turbines.
Developed in Scotland by SME with governmental support, PLAT-I, a 268kW platform, will be tested in Scottish waters before being relocated to a demonstration site in Singapore. The delivery of such a platform to Singapore, funded by Envirotek, will see a significant step up in the scale and size of platforms available in Southeast Asia, and in the delivery of a commercial demonstrator. SME and SCHOTTEL HYDRO are clear that scaling up into arrays is a measured and sensible approach.