Strangford Lough is a beautiful part of the world, located just to the west of Belfast. This peaceful setting with its wildlife, country walks and boating facilities doesn’t look like the kind of place that would provide much needed electricity – but surprisingly enough, it is!
The Lough has one of the strongest tidal flows in the World, and because of this, it was an ideal place for Marine Current Turbines Limited to install the World’s first underwater SeaGen Tidal Stream Turbine. One of the main problems to be faced was the placement of powered access to enable them to do the job.
Marine Current Turbines Limited approached Nationwide Access with their plans, because as the market leader, they knew that Nationwide would provide the answer – and they did! A Genie 60 boom was chosen because it has an outreach of 10.40m, which was just right. The machine was placed on the rig in the centre of the Lough, but it could not move around due to safety reasons - so it had to be chained to the deck. Because the correct machine had been selected, the job was completed quickly, safely and efficiently.
Telford Clarke, Operations Manager at Nationwide’s Belfast Depot commented: "We were proud to be a part of this very important project. Once this is finished, the turbine will provide power in an environmentally friendly way, causing no noise or emissions, and not spoiling our beautiful countryside. Nationwide is a forward-thinking company, and we are pleased to be a part of a project that will protect our environment for future generations." |
