Monday, August 20, 2012

Hall's Recent Launch Underwater

World class composite manufacturing firm Hall Composites, whose parent company Hall Spars & Rigging is known in the yachting industry as a leading provider of spars, rigging and complex composite components for the most competitive and successful yachts in the world, is manufacturing the turbine components for the United States' first commercial, grid-connected tidal energy project. Maine based Ocean Renewable Power Company (ORPC) is the project's developer, owner and operator. ORPC also developed the propietary technology used. Key to ORPC’s TidGen™ turbine generator unit (TGU) design are the all-composite Advanced Design Cross Flow turbines which Hall Composites is manufacturing. The TGU is the core component or “engine” for ORPC’s proprietary hydrokinetic device design which captures the energy of moving water without using dams or other barriers. The first TGU featuring four Hall Spars-made turbines was installed at ORPC’s permitted project site in Cobscook Bay, Maine last week.

















"We couldn’t have asked for a more innovative and professional turbine manufacturing partner than Hall,” said ORPC’s President & CEO Chris Sauer. “We have no doubt that these turbines will stand up to the challenges of long term deployment in the Bay of Fundy region.” 

Hall Spars considers the rigors of the marine environment on a daily basis when designing and manufacturing spars and rigging for the top superyachts in the world. Drawing from that expertise, Hall Spars built ORPC’s turbines with carbon fiber reinforced composites, an ideal material for the loads the turbines will encounter and the marine environment in which they will operate. 

Recent projects at Hall's three manufacturing locations in the USA, Netherlands and New Zealand, include the yachts Wally 50m Better Place, Reichel-Pugh 85 My Song, Hoek H-Class Firefly, Baltic 72 Stig, Alia 82 Aiyana, and the Ker 50 Varuna, as well as non-marine composite projects for the aerospace and defense industries. Hall has been in business for over 30 years. There is no question that company owners and avid sailors Eric Hall, Ben Hall, and Phil Garland, founded the company based on that love of sailing, and combined it with a driven pursuit of the latest technology. 

Hall Spars & Rigging produces seamless, carbon-fiber spars for boats from 40 feet LOA to superyachts. They are innovation leaders in high-performance spars, pioneering the combination of autoclave curing and seamless carbon construction. Hall Spars & Rigging has three complete manufacturing centers on three continents, as well as a sales and service operation based in Italy. Additionally, the Hall Spars & Rigging store sells the latest in high-performance hardware and rope, prepared by experts in sailboat rigging. 

Established in 2004, Ocean Renewable Power Company is a privately-held industry leader in tidal, river and deep water ocean current power generation technology and projects. ORPC’s hub at Eastport and Lubec, Maine has become an internationally recognized center for tidal energy development. The Maine Tidal Energy Project is funded in part by the US Department of Energy and the Maine Technology Institute, as well as private investors.

















For more information, contact Pete Levesque at p.levesque@hallcomposites.com