An experimental turbine generating 1MW will be installed in Cook Strait off Island Bay next summer, costing $10 million.
A prototype of what is likely to be the first turbine for tapping the tidal energy of New Zealand waters is sailing around Scottish seas bolted to a ship.
Christchurch company Neptune Power wants to begin installing an experimental turbine in Cook Strait next summer, based on the design being tested off Scotland.
Neptune received resource consent from the Greater Wellington Regional Council this month for a trial that can last up to 10 years.
Neptune director Chris Bathurst said the company was awaiting the results of the shipboard testing before buying a turbine from the unnamed manufacturer.
So far it has been established that the turbine rotates as intended and now performance and reliability testing is under way.
"Because they wanted to measure how much power it develops at exact speeds, they've bolted it to the front of this vessel, which is much easier than measuring where you've got variable tidal flows," Bathurst said.
The turbine Neptune intends installing at a cost of $10 million 4.5km off Wellington's Island Bay will have a maximum generation capacity of 1MW - enough for about 500 homes.

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Create date : 28 Apr 2008 12:38

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