World-leading coatings supplier Hempel has provided coatings to protect the Orbital O2 tidal energy turbine – the world’s most powerful tidal turbine. Hempel’s ambition is to become the leading global coatings solution provider for the global renewable energy segment.
O2 is set to operate at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in the Orkney Islands in the UK. Around the islands of Orkney, tidal currents can reach over four meters per second, making them some of the strongest in the world. To harness this energy, Orbital’s O2 comprises two 1MW turbines, which together create a 600 m2 rotor area and can generate 2MW of clean, predictable energy. O2 is capable of supplying enough energy to power around 2,000 UK homes.