Sabella D10 tidal turbine was connected to the submarine cable linked to the isle of Ouessant on 21 September 2015. It will be connected to the network of the island in the coming days, becoming the first tidal turbine connected to an electricity grid in France.
The operation consisted of connecting the underwater cable from the turbine to the cable on the island. The operation lasted several hours and ended at the stall of the high tide. The connection of the two cables was done in the open air (for sealing issues) on the deck of the support ship Argonaut .
The tidal turbine Sabella D10 will be the first marine energy turbine in France connected to the French power grid. Equipped with a rotor diameter of ten meters, during its first year of operation, it will provide 250 kilowatts of power and then up to one megawatt. At full power, it should ensure 10-15% of the consumption of the isle of Ouessant.
The project also includes the installation of three more powerful machines in 2018, as part of a pilot tidal turbine farm called “Eussabella”.
Source: SMILEGOV; Image: Sabella