Simec Atlantis says tidal power facility in Naru Island passes Japanese government's pre-use inspection tests

Simec Atlantis Energy Ltd (LON:SAE) announced that its tidal power generation facility in Naru Island, Japan, has passed the Japanese government’s pre-use inspection tests and is now recognised as an official power generation facility. 

The turbine tests were undertaken by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), a key stakeholder in consenting renewable energy projects in Japan, during one of the strongest tides expected this year.

The site features a AR500 tidal turbine that has been generating electricity since it was installed in January 2021 and has generated more than 90MWh of power at a high turbine availability.

The company said the pilot test was the first large-scale project of its kind in Japanese waters and has shown how the tidal industry can make a meaningful contribution in Japan’s ambition to diversifying its energy supply towards renewable sources.  

“We are all delighted to have achieved this accreditation from METI as this confirms the capability and reliability of our technology and is a huge step forward in paving the way to the next phase of this exciting project and other future projects in Japan,” said Graham Reid, chief executive of Simec Atlantis.

Elsewhere, the company also provided an update on its Uskmouth waste-to-energy conversion project in Newport, Wales.

The company said it submitted a “Statement of Case” to the Planning Inspectorate on 21 May 2021. The SOC is a routine part of a ‘call in’ process and addresses the matters raised in the ‘call in’ decision letter that the company announced in March.

READ: Simec Atlantis says Welsh government to handle Uskmouth planning application

The application is not for the conversion of the plant itself as a change in the fuel source from coal to waste derived pellets does not require planning permission and there is no change of use of the existing power station as its primary purpose would be thermal combustion to generate electricity, Simec Atlantis reiterated.

The next step in the ‘call in’ process is for the Planning Inspectorate to conduct a review of the environmental statement for the Uskmouth conversion project.

Story by ProactiveInvestors