CLIENT
Tocardo Tidal Power
LOCATION
Deltawerken/Oosterscheldekering, Nederland
YEAR OF COMPLETION
2012
SURFACE
- m2
MATERIAL
Composite
DETAILS
High-strength efficient tidal blades made of composite. Not all composite companies can develop and make these. Everything here is about efficiency, so the shape and design of the blades are critical to the success of the turbines that must perform day in and day out with minimal maintenance.
We make the composite tidal turbine blades for Tocardo Tidal Power. This is the largest tidal power project in the Netherlands and the largest commercial tidal installation in the world, installing a series of five turbines side by side for the first time.
For nearly sixty years, Deltawerken have protected much of the Netherlands from flooding from the sea. They have a worldwide reputation. Now the Oosterschelde barrier will also have the function of generating energy. The barrier is the most suitable location for generating tidal energy in the Netherlands because the water here flows hard. At the fixed rhythm of ebb and flood, very powerful currents of water occur at the Oosterschelde barrier, which Tocardo's turbines use to generate electricity safely and predictably. The turbines have been operating smoothly for years and have a total capacity of 1.2 MW, good for supplying power to about 1,000 households.
The turbine blades in the tidal turbines at the Oosterschelde barrier have been running successfully for years now. They supply clean electricity to almost a thousand households in Zeeland every day of the year.
At first glance, they may look simple, beautiful white shaped parts that seem to be sculpted. However, the composite turbine blades are a technical feat. The turbine blades must be maintenance-free for a long time (they are placed under water and therefore difficult to reach) and the maximum forces on the turbine blades are also immense. So they had to be incredibly strong products.
To make ‘incredibly strong’ a bit more concrete: a set of turbine blades (two blades) produces as much power under maximum load as a sea tug, for example a tugboat like the Smit London at full power.
Holland Composites produced these composite turbine blades, after having developed them together with engineering firm Solico Engineering BV. These turbine blades must meet exceptionally high requirements in terms of both strength and lifespan, which has resulted in an exceptionally thick-walled composite construction.
