SABELLA "D03": 1st French submarine tidal stream turbine immersed in 2008.

“SABELLA D03” (3 m diameter) is an experimental project conducted by SABELLA Consortium, with support from the region of Brittany, the French Environment and Energy Management Agency (ADEME), as well as the General Council of Finistère and the Community of Communes of Brest and Quimper, and with technical support from IFREMER. This project consisted of designing, building and testing at sea a pilot tidal turbine made to a 1:3 scale. This homothetic model of future industrial machines comprised a wide range of onboard measurement instruments. During the trial year (04/2008 to 04/2009), a series of submarine measurements and observations were carried out.

The aims were:

• to characterise the behaviour and performance of this turbine in a marine flow
• to assess its environmental impact
• to ensure its structural integrity
• to validate its construction methods and operating processes
• to identify areas of progress
• to model the electricity production of industrial machines.

The engineering of the “SABELLA D03” project began in May 2007, and the construction of the turbine was completed in March 2008 for immersion on 02 April 2008 in the estuary of Bénodet.

“SABELLA D03” was the first French submarine tidal turbine immersed off France’s coastline.

After two series of onsite trials and measurements, “SABELLA D03” was brought up in April 2009.

This experiment helped to consolidate feedback and to confirm the environmental neutrality and relevance of the solution, giving it a clear competitive edge.

See the "Sabella D03” photo gallery
(The use of these photos without prior written authorisation from SABELLA is prohibited. Unauthorised users will be prosecuted.)