By the end of the year, Tocardo Tidal Energy will start the fabrication of a 10-MW offshore tidal energy plant in the Pentland Firth.  It is anticipated that the first tidal energy from that plant will be produced by early 2009.  The Tocardo tidal turbines resemble "two bladed, under water wind turbines," generating electricity from sea currents.  As the devices operate completely submerged in water, they cause no visual impact whatsoever.  The offshore turbines planned to be fabricated at the Wick site will be equipped with rotor blades of 10 metres (33 feet) in diameter, generating 650kW per turbine when installed in the Pentland Firth tidal energy park.

Tocardo BV was established by Teamwork Technology, the original inventors of the Archimedes Wave Swing, a wave energy generator.   The Tocardo technology features a twin-bladed horizontal axis turbine with direct drive generator and fixed pitch blades.  The company is driven to deliver low cost, simple and robust technology, suitable for both offshore deployment and retro-fitting in existing tidal barrages.

Link to Original Article 

---