Minesto's Dragon 12 Project Powers Forward with Cable Installation Completion

Tidal energy developer Minesto said Wednesday it had successfully completed the first phase of Dragon 12 (1.2 MW) offshore installation in Vestmanna, Faroe Islands. 

The 3.4 km main subsea cable was laid on the seabed, from the onshore grid connection point to the offshore installation node. After transit across the North Atlantic Ocean to Vestmanna, the cable installation work kicked off and was completed Wednesday. The cable installation was completed in a 22-hour operation. 

“This cable is the highest valuable component of the infrastructure, and it’s a major milestone to have it safely installed. The installation and operation were completed according to plan thanks to our team and suppliers”, said Dr Martin Edlund, CEO of Minesto.

 A standard offshore supply vessel was adapted by Minesto’s subcontractor Inyanga for the cable laying to provide a cost-efficient vessel solution for the marine operations. 

The cable was manufactured by JDR in the UK and loaded onto the installation vessel in Hartlepool prior to transiting to the Faroe Islands. The next steps for the Dragon 12 installation are seabed anchoring and kite installation.

How does Minesto technology work?

©MinestoMinesto’s technology generates electricity from low-flow tidal streams and ocean currents using a patented principle similar to a stunt kite flying in the wind.

The wing uses the hydrodynamic lift force created by the underwater current to move the kite. With an onboard control system and rudders, the kite is autonomously steered in a predetermined figure eight, pushing the turbine through the water. By doing so, the turbine experiences a water flow several times higher than the actual stream speed.

The turbine diffuses power to the generator, which outputs electricity via the power cable in the tether. The seabed umbilical transfers the electricity to the onshore connection. Dragon 4 (right) next to Dragon 12 (left) ©Minesto