Ocean energy developer Minesto has achieved a significant milestone with its tidal kite Dragon 12, marking three months of uninterrupted testing since its installation in February 2024. Situated in Vestmanna, Faroe Islands, the Dragon 12 has reliably connected to the grid and performed as anticipated, alongside the operation of an array of tidal kites including the 1.2 MW Dragon 12 and a 100kW Dragon 4.
Dr. Martin Edlund, CEO of Minesto, stated, “With the generated test data at hand, we can now conclude that Dragon Class is ready for batch production to bring the first tidal energy arrays to life.”
The successful installation and operation of the 1.2 MW Dragon 12 have provided valuable insights into the commercial viability of Minesto's Dragon Class technology at scale. Real-world data from the Dragon 12 showcases its autonomous functionality, performance, and service intervals.
Moreover, the coexistence of both the Dragon 12 and Dragon 4 in the Vestmanna strait constitutes the world's first mini-array of tidal energy kites, enabling new avenues of verification and learning in kite-park design and performance optimization.
Despite the active operations involving two systems, Minesto has maintained a cost-efficient setup, utilizing the same small-scale work vessels and quaysides for all kites at one site. The company aims to sustain electricity production and testing as part of its commercial rollout strategy, demonstrating the competitive advantage of Dragon Class technology and enhancing performance to broaden the exploitable market.
Dr. Edlund added, “It is both satisfactory and vital to see that the February installation of Dragon 12 has resulted in a three-month period of successful production testing. Our major investments in a full-scale D12 power plant and extensive test-site infrastructure deliver full value in generating production data that show evidence of commercial readiness.”
