The SeaTC consortium, laureate of the Marine Technologies Bricks AMI launched by ADEME in 2014 and coordinated by M Prime Innovation, has successfully completed the first development milestone for its contactless submarine connector.

The SeaTC is an innovative submarine electrical connector for connecting submerged tidal turbines and wave generators. This new device, designed by M Prime Innovation, allows generators to be connected to the network without contact, and without degrading the energy efficiency of the connection.

 

The first stage of the project resulted in an optimized version of the SeaTC device and confirmation of the project’s performance and cost objectives. It will be immediately followed by the realization of a prototype of 300 KVA which will first be tested in the air and then immersed in water by the end of 2015.

The development of SeaTC is a collaborative R & D project that associates in the SeaTC consortium 4 leading partners:

  • DCNS, industrialist and developer of EMR farms,
  • G2Elab, (Grenoble Electrical Engineering – Grenoble INP) laboratory of electromagnetism of international fame
  • Corrodys, center of expertise in corrosion and biofouling based in Cherbourg,
  • ActiveTech, engineering and mechanical engineering complex based in Caen.

The SeaTC project has a budget of 3.8 million euros and will be supported by 1.8 million euros by Investissements d’Avenir. It will lead to the sea trials of a 2MW demonstrator after the prototype tests to be ready for the connection of the first commercial turbines.

Contact : Jean Claude LEBRUN  ✆ +336 58 37 94 50 – jcl@bscapartners.com