Menu

Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

Displaying items by tag: Welsh Wind Project

#HolyheadDeep -  Two Swedish-based companies have engaged in a joint project to invest in Wales’ transition to renewable energy.

Minesto and Stena Line will build an assembly hall in the Port of Holyhead, which Minesto will utilise in their upcoming rollout of the company's unique technology to generate clean electricity from the ocean.

Both companies have signed an agreement in which Stena Line has committed to building an assembly hall on their land at the north-west Welsh port. The assembly hall will be leased to Minesto and used for the upcoming rollout of Deep Green, Minesto’s unique technology for cost-effective electricity production from slowly flowing underwater currents.

Minesto’s first commercial power plant array will be installed in Holyhead Deep off the coast of North Wales. The joint-project companies invites the public for your opinion! so click here for more. 

The company recently announced plans to expand the project from 10MW to 80MW installed capacity. This expansion would allow Minesto’s power plants to supply as many as 80,000 Welsh households with locally produced, reliable and renewable electricity.

The assembly hall in Holyhead is a key part of this process, allowing both assembly and service and maintenance of the power plants to take place in the port.

“We are very pleased to have finalised this agreement with Stena Line. With its direct quay access for offshore transports to and from site we have secured a unique location that suits us perfectly. In the establishment of our technology, it is also crucial to work with professional and long-term partners such as Stena Line. We are two companies from Gothenburg, exploiting these ocean energy business opportunities together in Wales, which adds to the excitement”, says Dr Martin Edlund, CEO of Minesto.

Stena Line has been active in Holyhead for many years, as owner of the port and through operating five ferry routes between Ireland and the UK. 

“This investment creates value for Stena Line in several ways and demonstrates opportunities in port operations linked to ocean renewables”, says Björn Petrusson, Chief Commercial Officer at Stena Line. “Our sustainability strategy has a clear focus on clean energy so participating in the development of new renewable energy sources is natural to us. This investment is good for our business and is also an investment in a better future for all of us”, Björn Petrusson concludes.

The assembly hall is scheduled for completion in June 2017.

Published in Power From the Sea

SB20 (formerly Laser SB3) information

Designed by Tony Castro, the SB20 is a British-built strict one-design 6.15m keelboat conceived as a wide appeal, affordable, competitive sportsboat for teams of three or four sailors. It is also, arguably, the most successful sportsboat in the world with 800 owners competing regularly in a programme of exciting local, national and international events.

Originally known as the Laser SB3, the SB20 continues to deliver on its pioneering promise: a boat that is fun, fast and easy to sail by anyone of any age; the best value-for-money sportsboat in the market.

The Laser SB3 was designed by Castro and launched in 2002. In 2007 the Laser SB3 was awarded ISAF Recognised Status and the first World Championships were held in Ireland in 2008. In 2012, Tony Castro appointed a new builder, Sportsboat World. At this time, the Laser SB3 was renamed the SB20 and building was returned to the UK from Malaysia. The ethos of the class continues.

The boat is a strict one-design class, economic to buy and campaign, easy to sail with a simple deck layout and electric downwind performance delivered by the generous sail plan. The boat has a lifting keel, can easily be launched from a slipway and towed behind a family car.

Previous SB20 World Champions

2008 GBR: Geoff Carveth, Roger Gilbert, Roz Allen & Sarah Allan

Host National Yacht Club, Dun laoghaire, Ireland

2009 GBR: Craig Burlton, Stephen White, Adam Heeley

Host Clube Naval de Cascais, Cascais, Portugal

2010 GBR: Jerry Hill, Grant Rollerson, Joe Llewellyn

Host Circolo Vela Torbole, Lake Garda, Italy

2011 GBR: Geoff Carveth, Andy Ramus, Ian Mills & Emma Clarke

Host Royal Torbay Yacht Club, Torquay, UK

2012 GBR: Geoff Carveth, Lesley Dhonau, Roger Hudson & Asenathi Jim

Host Hamilton Island Yacht Club, Queensland, Australia

2013 GRB: Craig Burlton, Stephen White, Adam Heley Host COYCH Club, Hyeres, France