Launching the world’s largest tidal turbine on Earth Day

Tidal energy is a key form of renewable energy as it harnesses one of nature’s most powerful but relatively untapped forces: tidal waves. On Earth Day this year, LIBERTY Steel Dalzell celebrated its contribution to launching the world’s most powerful operational tidal turbine, the Orbital O2.

The steel plate mill in Motherwell, Scotland, plays an important role in providing materials for tidal and wind turbines. On this occasion, it provided steel for Scottish-based Orbital Marine Power’s pioneering floating tidal energy project. The O2 successfully launched this April and has the ability to generate enough clean, predictable electricity to meet the demand of around 2,000 UK homes and offset approximately 2,200 tonnes of CO2 production per year.

Tidal turbines generate power by having large rotors that slowly turn from the force of tidal waves and extract energy, which is turned into electricity. Tidal is one of the few renewable energies that is consistent and reliable.

As Scotland increasingly uses its industrial and engineering heritage to build a greener future, LIBERTY Dalzell is proud to be part of that journey.