PLA LONDON - TEN YEARS LATE ON TIDAL TESTING SITE

 

        NEWS HAS JUST REACHED THE ENERGY WORLD THAT THE PORT OF LONDON AUTHORITY HAS ANNOUNCED THE OPENING OF A TIDAL STREAM TURBINE TEST SITE ON THE LOWER REACHES OF THE RIVER THAMES, CLOSE TO THE THAMES BARRIER.

 THE STATEMENT PUT OUT BY PLA   STATE THAT  WHILE THE "TRADITIONAL TYPE " TIDAL STREAM TURBINE MAY NOT BE EFFECTIVE IN THE TURBULENT LOW-VELOCITY WATER FLOWS, SO NEW AND INNOVATIVE DESIGNS ARE NEEDED THAT COULD SUPPLY CLEAN RENEWABLE ENERGY TO THE CITY, HENCE THE NEED FOR TESTING IN REAL CONDITIONS.

SADLY THE PLA ARE 10 YEARS LATE IN THIS VENTURE.       IN 2010/12,   HALES WATER TURBINES LTD,  FORMERLY CALLED HALES ENERGY LTD , SUPPORTED AND SPONSORED BY A RIVER THAMES PIER OWNER  CONDUCTED SMALL BUT HIGHLY REGULATED TESTING OF A SPECIAL REACTION TYPE TIDAL STREAM / WATER FLOW TURBINE THAT THE COMPANY HAD PATENTED IN 2006.

 

THESE TRIALS WERE CONDUCTED AFTER A VERY LONG DELAYS IN GETTING THE PROPER PERMISSIONS THROUGH THE ENVIRONMENT AGENCY, THAT HAD REQUIRED OUR LOCAL MP BECOMING INVOLVED.

WHILE THESE PRIMARY TRIALS WHEN UNDERWAY, THE PORT OF LONDON AUTHORITIES LATER LET IT BE KNOWN THAT THEY WOULD REQUIRE MONTHLY FEES TO BE PAID TO CONTINUE THE TRIALS,    ALSO A LIST OF SEVENTEEN OPERATING REQUIREMENTS WOULD HAVE TO BE MET, WITH REGULAR INSPECTIONS BY THEIR OFFICERS ( WITH COSTS) TO CONTINUE.

AFTER REVIEWING THE 17 OPERATING CONDITIONS REQUIRED (WHICH WOULD HAVE PREVENTED ANY RELEVANT DATA TO BE COLLECTED WITH THE EQUIPMENT ON SITE) AND THE HIGH MONTHLY FEE REQUIRES, HWT LTD SADLY HAD TO REMOVE THE WHOLE TEST PROTOTYPE TURBINE UNIT, COMPLETE WITH THE SPECIAL SUPPORT PONTOON FROM THE RIVER THAMES AND SCRAP ALL FURTHER SITE TESTING..

TO CONTINUE OUR TURBINE DEVELOPMENT,  HALES WATER TURBINE LTD THEN SPENT  OVER £100 K GBP AND BUILT A SPECIAL WATER FLOW TEST TANK IN HASTINGS WHICH ALLOWED 24/7 DEVELOPMENT AND TESTING WITHOUT RESTRICTIONS.

 

IT IS SAD THAT IT HAS TAKEN THE PLA SO LONG TO UNDERSTAND THE POTENTIAL ENERGY BENEFITS OF THE RIVER THAMES BOTH AS A RENEWABLE ELECTRICAL AND THERMAL ENERGY SOURCE. 

WE WISH THEM WELL,  WE CAN CONFIRM THE POTENTIAL IS THERE FOR BOTH.

PAUL HALES

DIRECTOR

HALES WATER TURBINES LTD