Marine Current Turbines

How is it social?

Marine Current Turbines is a provider of renewable energy technologies and, as such, provides inherent environmental benefits, most significantly in the form of reduced carbon emissions and reduced pollution through marine and tidal power generation. In this respect, MCT offers a sustainable form of creating electricity, with a minimal environmental impact. Unlike many other alternative energy sources, marine turbines do not require land-based operations and so land resources are preserved.

Though MCT’s turbines contain safety features designed to mitigate the impact on the marine environment, it remains to be seen what the negative impacts of the SeaGen will be on aquatic life and migratory birds that gather in estuaries and adjacent wetlands. Independent research in this area will address the concerns that have been expressed by conservation groups, including the RSPB with regards to the Severn Tidal Barrage proposals. Read this article for more information.

What is its business model?

Marine Current Turbines (MCT) is an early renewable energy provider in marine current and tidal stream energy technologies, having been founded in 1989. The company’s technology relies on normal ocean currents rather than waves to manufacture electricity, unlike other hydro-power technologies. MCT installs large, twinned turbines on the ocean floor that are spun by passing tidal streams and marine currents, creating and storing electricity in their mounting systems.

MCT currently uses the “SeaGen,” which consists of twin axial flow rotors, each one 15 to 20m in diameter. SeaGen is,  according to the company, the world's first commercial scale tidal stream turbine and on December 18th 2008 generated a maximum capacity of 1.2MW.

The turbines use patented technology to use all directions of tidal currents. The SeaGen is designed to be easily maintained and includes safety features that can, if necessary, shut down the turbines for periods of time to safeguard the surrounding aquatic environment. MCT believes it has cornered a market that should have "almost infinite potential”, as the only barriers facing the SeaGen are the depths at which it can function. Successful implementation of the SeaGen in large quantities have the potential to create large amounts of energy, with minimal negative environmental impact.

Its history

The tidal turbine concepts were initially developed by Peter Fraenkel while working at IT Power Ltd, an internationally recognised renewable energy consultancy company which he founded and where he served as technical director for 19 years. Peter was primarily responsible for water current technology, together with hydropower and wind, and is the principal inventor behind the patents and other intellectual property that are now wholly owned by MCT.

MCT installed the world’s first offshore tidal turbine off the coast of Devon, near Lynmouth in May 2003 and also completed the installation of the 1.2 MW SeaGen, in Strangford Lough, Northern Ireland in 2008. The SeaGen is the progenitor of MCT’s commercial product which is planned for worldwide deployment. The company has received the investment support of nPower Renewables, EDF Energy, Triodos Bank, and most recently ESBI.

MCT won the Rosenblatt 2009 New Energy Rising Star Award in February in recognition of the installation of the world’s first commercial scale tidal current system, the 1.2MW SeaGen turbine, in Northern Ireland’s Strangford Lough in 2008 and of it having achieved full power on a regular basis.  

More information