Inyanga Marine Energy Group, based in the UK, has successfully completed hydrodynamic testing of the passive pitch unit for its innovative HydroWing tidal turbine technology. The tests were conducted at the Kelvin Hydrodynamics Laboratory at the University of Strathclyde in Scotland, marking a significant advancement for the project.
The focus of the testing was on the passive pitch mechanism, which regulates the turbine’s output and protects it from adverse conditions such as wave loadings, grid loss, and storm surges. Inyanga asserts that passive pitch offers several advantages over active pitch, including improved energy yield, reliability, cost-effectiveness, and load damping.
The results have been celebrated by HydroWing’s research and development team as a breakthrough, demonstrating that the turbine’s blade rotor can self-adjust its pitch autonomously. Richard Parkinson, CEO of Inyanga Marine Energy Group, highlighted the significance of these results, stating, “Our engineering team has excelled in delivering a game-changing turbine and blade solution that doubles annual energy production, making our Morlais 20MW project highly investable.”
He added, “With this new pitch regulation system, the blade rotors can now scale to twice the swept area while ensuring safety and efficiency, even in the harshest ocean conditions. This technological advance unlocks new possibilities for harnessing marine energy at a larger scale and paves the way for future innovations in predictable sustainable power generation.”
In September, Inyanga Marine Energy Group was awarded an additional 10MW for their tidal energy project at Morlais in Anglesey, Wales, through the UK government’s Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme. The Morlais tidal energy initiative is managed by Menter Môn, with all necessary infrastructure already in place, including a connection to the national grid and two substations onshore.
Following the successful testing of its passive pitch technology, HydroWing plans to proceed with the validation of a full-scale test rig.
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