Orecon to test wave-energy conversion buoy off English coast
Orecon has raised more than $19.5 million to fund the construction and deployment of the project, its first commercial 1.5-megawatt (MW) offshore buoy, southwest of Hayle, England, in conjunction with the South West of England Regional Development Agency's Wave Hub Project.
The buoy utilizes multiple oscillating water columns that drive air turbo-generator sets. The buoys are about 40 meters in diameter and rise more than 5 meters over waves. All of the machinery is above the water. Construction of the first unit is expected to take eight months.
After the prototype is complete, Orecon expects following units to be built in about five months. Deployment is quick and depends a lot on how far the buoys are transported. The actual installation will take about three and a half days: three days to install the six anchors and another 12 hours to attach the buoy.
Construction of the first unit is expected to begin in second quarter of 2009 with deployment set for April 2010.
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Enel kicks off 90MW Spanish wind build
MADRID - Enel Green Power Espana has started constructing three wind farms in Aragon, north-east Spain, which are due online by the end of the year.
The projects, all situated in the Teruel province, are worth a total investment of €88 million.
The biggest of the facilities, Sierra Costera I, will have a 50MW and will feature 14 turbines.
The wind farm is spread across the municipalities of Mezquita de Jarque, Fuentes Calientes, Canada Vellida and Rillo.
The Allueva wind facility will feature seven turbines and will exceed 25MW.
Sierra Pelarda, in Fonfria, will have four turbines and a capacity of 15MW.
The projects bring the…
