On the Faroe Islands, there is a space program different from all others. Its aim is not to leave Earth and head into space, but to venture out into the depths of the Atlantic to harness a renewable energy source that originates from space, right here on Earth.
Staggeringly, over 80 percent of global energy currently comes from fossil fuels. In a world with limited resources, this statistic rapidly needs to change. Energy production needs to be reimagined into a more sustainable and affordable system. The Faroe Islands Space Program aims to utilize the resources we already have on Earth – the tides that are powered by the Moon and harvested by the tidal kite Luna 12.
“We are in the middle of a new space race. And everyone is looking at the potential of how can we extract resources from space and other planets. There is one way to do it, right here on our planet,” Annika Ölme, Chief Technology Officer and Senior Vice President of Technology Development at SKF, who are collaborating on the project, told IFLScience.
Who are the teams behind this project?
This project is a true collaboration between global industry leader SKF, marine energy developer Minesto, and Faroese electricity company, Sev.
Ever since its conception in 1907, SKF has been making arguably the world’s most innovative bearings, seals, condition monitoring systems, lubrication systems, and services all intending to reduce friction, with products that have been applied for this sole purpose across more than 40+ industries. Research shows that 20 percent of all energy consumed globally is used to overcome friction – by reducing the amount of friction in the world, we’re able to use our resources in a more efficient way. This is particularly important when producing energy as all output is intended to go to the electricity grid and not disappear as friction.
In this space program, that means harnessing “Moon energy” with tidal kites off the coast of the Faroe Islands. SKF was brought on board to design the bearing and sealing systems for the rudders and elevators of the kites. The SKF software system calculates, for example, bearing rating life and estimates CO2 emissions, which makes it possible to compare different solutions not only from a technical standpoint but also from a sustainability point of view, reinforcing the mission to drive innovation in renewable energy.
Minesto is a marine energy technology developer that was founded in 2007. They have successfully been developing unique ocean energy technologies and are the creator and developer of Luna 12.
Meanwhile, Sev is putting in place the critical infrastructure so that the energy produced from Luna 12 can go into the electrical grid efficiently and affordably.
What is “Moon energy”?
The Earth and Moon are locked in a gravitational dance. The Moon orbits the Earth while both are traveling around the Sun. The Moon has a gravitational impact on the Earth itself – it plays a big role in the ebb and flow of tidal formation.
Tidal energy, or “Moon energy”, is a fascinating avenue to explore for renewable resources. Currently, sources like solar, wind, and hydro are weather-dependent, whereas tidal energy is predictable.
“In one word, it is about predictability in the tidal field. You can basically plan very much in advance when the power is available,” Michael Baumann, Business Development Manager of Marine and Ocean Energy at SKF, told IFLScience. “Which is a big advantage I would say, over wind or solar.”
Why the Faroe Islands?
The Faroe Islands are comprised of 18 small islands in the Northeast Atlantic (between Iceland and Scotland). It is a prime location for this project as:
- Sev is aiming for the Faroe Islands to become 100 percent green in terms of electricity generation by 2030, therefore, there is a lot of innovation currently happening in this field.
- Tidal kites are suitable to low flow areas, which the Faroe Islands are.
What is Luna 12?
Luna 12 is a brand new, 12-meter-long (39.4-foot), strikingly yellow contraption that swims in the tidal streams to generate electricity.
“We fly this Luna 12 as a kite underwater. So, it is tethered, or stringed, to the seabed, and when the tidal wave or the tidal current hits the wing, lifting forces are created, and the system will move, pushed by the flow (and we control the way it moves), and we chose a trajectory that is eight shaped. And then, there is a turbine and a generator on board that is brought into motion by the throughflow of that turbine generated by the moving system,” Martin Edlund, CEO of Minesto, told IFLScience.
Excitingly, the project is working!
“Last Winter, Minesto called me and they said ‘Yvonne, now Luna, she’s launched to the ocean and we can see her on our screens. She’s now delivering electricity to the grid!’” Yvonne Rydberg, Application Engineer at SKF, told IFScience.
One Luna 12 produces a large amount of energy per year.
“The commercial scale device is rated at 1.2 megawatts,” said Edlund. “If you talk about electricity consumption in the normal European household, maybe up to 800,000 households [in a year]”.
What were the challenges for this project?
There are a few challenges with creating a tidal kite. The main one is the environment that it resides in. Ensuring that seawater does not get into the bearings and the components (which has been accounted to not happen by SKF), is extremely important.
“The most obvious challenge is the harsh environment. It’s not always salt moisture, it is also seaweed and algae that can grow on your moving parts. Besides, you have to consider the weather (storms, waves). Luna 12 is deeply anchored beneath the sea surface so she is quite protected from the weather at least,” said Rydberg.
Collaboration in these types of projects is critical to the success of them
“We see collaboration and knowledge sharing as key in this journey of ours to 2030. As we are [a] small, isolated islanders’ power system, we need to gain from experience from elsewhere,” Terji Nielsen, Head of the R&D Department at Sev, told IFLScience.
“[At] SKF, we have been engaging in this emerging industry from its infancy, I would say. Very early. And at the time there was not very much interest for other big players to get involved in that magnitude and scale. But for us, it was important to get involved early, learn from the prototypes and demonstrators from the field testing, and really work hand in hand as a technical partner,” said Ölme.
Overall, this is a very exciting project and one of many initiatives where SKF is fighting friction for a brighter and more sustainable future.
For more information on this project, please click here.
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