Roxtec Delivers Seals for Orbital's O2 Tidal Turbine

Safety seal manufacturer Roxtec said Monday it had supplied Scotland-based Orbital Marine Power with a range of cable sealing solutions to support the construction of Orbital Marine's tidal turbine, the Orbital O2 2MW.

Orbital’s O2 turbine is nearing completion at TEXO Group’s manufacturing facility in Dundee and will enter operation this spring at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) off the coast of Orkney.

The O2 will be towed from Dundee to Orkney in the coming weeks before being anchored at EMEC’s site in the Fall of Warness where tidal speeds can exceed 3m/s. Once operational it will become the world’s most powerful tidal turbine, capable of providing enough clean and sustainable electricity to power more than 1,700 UK homes every year.

Richard Keith, Marine & Offshore Market Manager for Roxtec in Scotland, said the company’s sealing solutions will help protect the turbine’s control systems and ensure operational reliability. 

Roxtec transits are being used to create dustproof and watertight seals where electrical control and instrumentation cables pass through compartments in the turbine’s hull, and between its nacelles and pitching hubs, Bury-based Roxtec said.

Keith said: "Our cable transits are capable of withstanding exactly the kind of harsh marine environment that the O2 turbine will face off the coast of Orkney. The system is designed for cost efficiency, enabling multiple cables of varying sizes to be sealed quickly and easily, with the need for fewer openings. This flexible design not only speeds up the installation process but ensures future upgrades and maintenance work will be time and cost effective.”