Take a crash-course on tidal energy at our Smart Energy Academy
At the upcoming Smart Energy Academy, over 30 speakers will share fresh insights, smart analyses and expert knowledge on a wide variety of energy-related topics. Stefaan Mensaert, product manager at Nexans, will introduce participants to tidal energy: “Scotland and France are the frontrunners.”
On Friday, November 24rd, the final day of the Smart Energy Academy, Stefaan Mensaert (Nexans) will speak on the topic of tidal energy. We catch him on his way back from the airport for a short conversation about one of the lesser-known forms of sustainable energy.
Today, how important is tidal energy in Belgium and in Europe?
The Belgian coastline is unfortunately not suitable for tidal energy production. But tidal energy is still relevant to us, because DEBE Concessions, a subsidiary of the Belgian dredging, environmental and marine engineering group DEME, acquired a minority interest in the Scottish development company Tidal Power Scotland Limited (TPSL). TPSL controls, together with Scottish Enterprise and among others, the planned MeyGen project, the world's first tidal power station connected to the electricity grid. In Europe, Scotland and France are the frontrunners when it comes to tidal energy projects.
Which link does Nexans have with tidal energy?
Well, cable-making is our core activity, so submarine cables - used in tidal energy - are important to us. In my division we focus on the connectivity of submarine cables and specifically on the possibility to disconnect a tidal turbine from its sea cables. This is necessary to perform due maintenance on the turbines. In comparison, wind turbines at sea are accessible for maintenance. Tidal turbines are a challenge, because they are under water. Therefore, Nexans has started a development program focused on ‘wet mate solutions’ able to connect under water and ‘dry mate solutions’ able to connect in a dry environment, typically on a vessel.
On which aspects of tidal energy will your presentation focus?
I’m not going to talk about tidal energy exclusively. I’m also going to shed a light on wave energy and floating wind energy. I’m interested in all the new forms of offshore energy that are slowly entering pre-commercialization phase. At the Smart Energy Academy, I’ll give an overview of the market, the players – mainly new companies, actually – and the challenges involved. It will be an informative session on an emerging and fascinating segment of the energy landscape. I’m convinced that a close follow-up of these new forms of sustainable energy at sea will offer Belgian companies opportunities to enter this developing market.
You’ll be speaking at the first Smart Energy Academy, but it will be everything but your first seminar with us…
I’ve organized close to 20 seminars during the two and a half years I was the chairman of the theme group Grid Intelligence of Smart Grids Flanders… Nexans has been a member of Smart Grids Flanders from the start, developing components for applications in the medium voltage range (current and voltage measurements) and for power line communication. Having presented once already at the Smart Grid School, the predecessor of the Smart Energy Academy, I’m looking forward to the new concept!
Register here to attend the Smart Energy Academy
- Members at talent level are entitled to send one person free of charge to each of the three Academy days.
- Members at valorization level have three complimentary seats per Academy day.
Stefaan Mensaert on offshore energy. Friday Nov. 24th.