A lifetime’s extensive knowledge of the sea conditions in the North of Scotland was a significant factor in the design of the floating, twin rotor tidal turbine. The device has been specifically designed to operate in these hostile waters. One of the primary functions of the design was to ensure easy access and maintenance.
From the outset Scotrenewables has been committed to a responsible, staged development programme to systematically tackle all major elements of risk before committing to a full-scale prototype, hence minimizing the risk associated with the development programme. The SRTT has not been developed as an application for a specific technology, nor is it an attempt to realise an abstract academic idea. The SRTT concept was developed by Scotrenewables as the best means of extracting energy from tidal currents based on practical design experience and a thorough understanding of the principles involved.
The table below displays the progression of the SRTT project to date:
| Date | Location | Type | Scale | Tests Performed |
| 2003 | QinetiQ, Haslar, Gosport | Tow-tank | 1/16th | Initial system and stability analysis |
| 2005 | SSPA, Gothenburg, Sweden | Tow-tank | 1/7th | Power performance in static/dynamic conditions |
| 2005 | Clestrain Sound, Orkney | Sea-trials | 1/7th | Instrumentation and power assessments |
| 2006 | QinetiQ Haslar, Gosport | Tow-tank | 1/7th | Power performance verification, mooring loads, and full instrumentation analysis |
| 2006 | QinetiQ Haslar, Gosport | Tow-tank | 1/14th | Dynamic tests in survivable mode |
| 2006 | Clestrain Sound, Orkney (On-going) |
Sea-trials | 1/7th | Power performance in a range of varying wave/current interactions, dynamic response and mooring loads |
| 2007 | MARIN, Netherlands (To be confirmed) | Ocean basin | 1/40th | Survivability analysis, dynamic response assessments with varying rotor damping levels and current/wave conditions |
| 2007 | DHI/ Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NUST) (To be confirmed) | Ocean Basin | 1/40th | Survivability analysis, dynamic response assessments with varying rotor damping levels and current/wave conditions |
Scotrenewables has assembled a strong development team with the requisite skills in theoretical and experimental hydrodynamics, conceptual and practical engineering design and offshore technology. The Scotrenewables development team has the skills required to take the project through full-scale demonstration and onward commercialisation.
Scotrenewables has systematically sought out and recruited the best available team members. The result is that Scotrenewables has a highly skilled technical team and support network. With the company based in Orkney, a well-established centre of excellence for renewable energy development and home of EMEC, Scotrenewables is ideally located to take the project to full-scale demonstration quicker and at a considerably lower cost than its competitors.
Engineers working for Scotrenewables live and interact with tidal currents and marine renewables projects practically on their doorstep every day. This puts Scotrenewables in a very strong position ahead of its competitors, by creating an active and exciting atmosphere for company development