Start-up company Spiralis Energy is seeking permits to test a surface tidal energy generator in Alderney waters.
If successful, the trial could lead to economic opportunities and an additional source of renewable energy for Alderney.
The Spiralis generator, a surface-mounted rotational screw device (shown in the main picture) that sits at anchor, will not create usable power during trials. The company wants to test its potential in Alderney’s tidal flow during winter months.
The proposal is for two ‘Axial Skelter’ power generating screws, each about the length of a cricket pitch, mounted on a floating platform.
Alderney’s Policy & Finance Committee (PFC) has confirmed its support in principle for using Alderney waters as a testbed under Island Plan objectives for energy, and has asked for a detailed presentation from Spiralis before agreeing to trials.
Meanwhile, Spiralis has engaged with the Alderney Harbour Office and the Harbour User Group to discuss any concerns together with details of harbour fees, support vessel moorings and assembly space if the trial goes ahead. The company has already successfully tested a scaled-down version of the generator.
Spiralis is financed by grants and private equity and intends to bid on Contracts for Difference (CfD) offered by the UK Government. To achieve this, the company needs to demonstrate that its device works and the technology can be commercialised.
Alderney is not the only site for appropriate testing conditions, another being the European Marine Energy Centre in the Orkneys. The company is not seeking financial support from the States which will set a fee for the use of Alderney waters for a maximum of 12 months.
As well as commercial and assembly space, Spiralis will seek business services and local recruitment and if the trial is successful, it will also consider setting up a local branch company and providing clean energy into the Alderney grid at a low price.
PFC Chairman Nigel Vooght said: “We are very interested in this proposal and await full details for discussion within our other committees. This is an opportunity for Alderney to use a small part of its tidal resources to show that Alderney is open for business as a tidal energy test site.”
