Minesto Dragon 12: Discover the Fascinating Technology Anchored on the Sea Floor That Operates Like an Underwater Kite and Generates Renewable Energy from Tides

Written by Ruth Rodrigues

Published on 29/04/2024 at 08:40

Updated on 28/04/2024 at 23:27

Fonte: Karmactive

Be the first to react!

The Dragon 12, an Innovation from Minesto, Is an Offshore Wind Platform That Operates Like an Underwater Kite, Efficiently Capturing Energy from Ocean Currents.

The Minesto Dragon 12 offshore wind production platform is standing out in the production of renewable energy, using a unique approach to extract power from ocean currents. Anchored to the seabed, the Dragon 12 operates like an underwater kite, capturing energy from the tides more efficiently than conventional methods.

With a wingspan of 12 meters and weighing 28 tons, the model is notable for its efficiency and ease of installation. Learn more about Minesto’s new venture into renewable energy production.

Minesto Invests in Cutting-Edge Technology for Renewable Energy Production with the Dragon 12

Minesto is revolutionizing the renewable energy sector with the Minesto Dragon 12, a technology designed to extract energy from ocean currents.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW

See also

Unlike conventional methods that rely on fixed turbines on the ocean floor, the Dragon 12 operates submerged, using tidal flows as if they were winds, resembling a kite flying just below the surface.

Illustration of how the Minesto Dragon 12 operates when active. Photo: Minesto

The Dragon 12 system represents a significant shift from traditional tidal energy devices.

Anchored to the seabed, it moves through the water like a kite and adapts to tidal currents similarly to wind.

This approach allows the Dragon 12 to extract more energy from tidal currents compared to other projects, adjusting the economic dynamics for locations with slower tidal flows.

Weighing 28 tons and with a wingspan of 12 meters, the Dragon 12 boasts high efficiency and ease of installation.

Unlike more complex offshore energy options, such as wind turbines, the Dragon 12 can be easily transported in a single container and installed using a small boat and a rope on the seabed.

Dragon 12 Has High Potential for the Global Renewable Energy Market

The key metric in any renewable energy project is the Levelized Cost of Energy (LCoE).

The Dragon 12, an innovation from Minesto, is an offshore wind platform that operates like an underwater kite, efficiently capturing energy from ocean currents. With an initial LCoE of $108/MWh, its economic viability stands out in the global renewable energy market. — Photo: Minesto

Thus, Minesto has designed an initial LCoE of approximately $108/MWh for its first one hundred megawatts, with expectations that costs will decrease to $54/MWh over time. This pricing highlights the economic viability of the Dragon 12 in the global market.

In comparison, competing companies, such as Orbital, and their O2 tidal turbine, anticipate an LCoE below $253/MWh.

Additionally, onshore wind projects in 2022 estimated an average LCoE of about $89/MWh, according to the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE).

Thus, the Dragon 12 could be a major bet for the future of renewable energy production from tides.

Minesto Dragon 12: Discover the Fascinating Technology Anchored on the Sea Floor That Operates Like an Underwater Kite and Generates Renewable Energy from Tides

The Dragon 12, an Innovation from Minesto, Is an Offshore Wind Platform That Operates Like an Underwater Kite, Efficiently Capturing Energy from Ocean Currents.

Minesto Invests in Cutting-Edge Technology for Renewable Energy Production with the Dragon 12

Dragon 12 Has High Potential for the Global Renewable Energy Market

A village with 115 inhabitants wants new residents: it offers a house, a job, up to 44 thousand euros in benefits, almost free rent, an annual grant of 8 thousand euros for 3 years, and a 20 thousand euro incentive for businesses in the mountains of Italy.

NASA is offering US$ 750,000 to people from anywhere in the world who solve a problem that could decide survival on Mars: creating food for astronauts without relying on resupply from Earth.

While countries spend billions to draw water from the sea, a Nobel-winning scientist creates a container-sized machine that extracts up to 1,000 liters per day from dry air and uses ultrasound to release water in minutes, even in the middle of the desert.

Belgium will sink 23 giant concrete caissons, each weighing 22,000 tons, in the North Sea to build the world’s first artificial energy island 45 km off the coast, forming offshore electrical walls.

New microwave that can replace three appliances hits the market: Sharp launches 3-in-1 model that combines air fryer, convection oven, and heating in 0.9 cubic feet for small kitchens

While Brazil has been discussing bullet trains for 16 years, China delivers 5 new high-speed lines in 2026, surpasses 50,000 km of HSR, and moves 1 billion passengers in a single year.

With an 88-meter wingspan, a capacity of 250 tons, six engines, and 32 wheels, the Ukrainian giant became the greatest symbol of extreme air transport and one of the most impressive machines in aviation history.

Cheap used cars can turn into a headache: 7 models up to R$ 50,000 that seem like a good deal, but can wipe out your savings at the mechanic’s

Mangroves hide a billion-dollar water cleanup, remove 960 thousand tons of nitrogen per year, and reveal an environmental power that many people hadn’t even imagined existed.

The delivery of a 15 m² container studio apartment, furnished with a bed, nightstand, wardrobe, slatted panel headboard, custom-designed kitchen, and a corner shower enclosure in the bathroom. The client will use the house on weekends.

A 60 m² container house with three bedrooms, including a master suite and two children’s bedrooms. The team’s assembly took five business days, and the structure came pre-finished from the factory.

What’s worth buying in Paraguay in 2026 reveals an absurd difference in electronics, with MacBook over R$ 11 thousand cheaper and PS5 for half the price.

Minesto Dragon 12: Discover the Fascinating Technology Anchored on the Sea Floor That Operates Like an Underwater Kite and Generates Renewable Energy from Tides

The Dragon 12, an Innovation from Minesto, Is an Offshore Wind Platform That Operates Like an Underwater Kite, Efficiently Capturing Energy from Ocean Currents.

Minesto Invests in Cutting-Edge Technology for Renewable Energy Production with the Dragon 12

Dragon 12 Has High Potential for the Global Renewable Energy Market

A village with 115 inhabitants wants new residents: it offers a house, a job, up to 44 thousand euros in benefits, almost free rent, an annual grant of 8 thousand euros for 3 years, and a 20 thousand euro incentive for businesses in the mountains of Italy.

NASA is offering US$ 750,000 to people from anywhere in the world who solve a problem that could decide survival on Mars: creating food for astronauts without relying on resupply from Earth.

While countries spend billions to draw water from the sea, a Nobel-winning scientist creates a container-sized machine that extracts up to 1,000 liters per day from dry air and uses ultrasound to release water in minutes, even in the middle of the desert.

Belgium will sink 23 giant concrete caissons, each weighing 22,000 tons, in the North Sea to build the world’s first artificial energy island 45 km off the coast, forming offshore electrical walls.

New microwave that can replace three appliances hits the market: Sharp launches 3-in-1 model that combines air fryer, convection oven, and heating in 0.9 cubic feet for small kitchens

While Brazil has been discussing bullet trains for 16 years, China delivers 5 new high-speed lines in 2026, surpasses 50,000 km of HSR, and moves 1 billion passengers in a single year.

With an 88-meter wingspan, a capacity of 250 tons, six engines, and 32 wheels, the Ukrainian giant became the greatest symbol of extreme air transport and one of the most impressive machines in aviation history.

Saudi Arabia is building in Oxagon a US$ 8.4 billion mega green hydrogen plant with 4 GW of solar and wind energy, 5.6 million solar panels, and capacity to produce 600 tons per day, transforming the desert into one of the planet’s largest clean fuel factories.

Germany and Denmark will transform Bornholm into a Baltic power island, connecting 3 GW of offshore wind power to the grids of the two countries via submarine cables and turning a real island into an international energy hub.

Brazil discovers natural hydrogen in four states and enters the silent race that could redraw the energy transition: Petrobras has already invested R$ 20 million in studies.

A BRICS country surprises the world, doubles electricity generation in just 7 years, nears 9,800 MW, and becomes one of Africa’s new bets in renewable energy.

Ambitious project in Dubai transforms desert mountains into a “giant water battery” with 1,500 MWh, reversible turbines, and a lifespan of up to 80 years to store solar energy when night makes the solar panels go dark.

Cheap used cars can turn into a headache: 7 models up to R$ 50,000 that seem like a good deal, but can wipe out your savings at the mechanic’s

Mangroves hide a billion-dollar water cleanup, remove 960 thousand tons of nitrogen per year, and reveal an environmental power that many people hadn’t even imagined existed.

The delivery of a 15 m² container studio apartment, furnished with a bed, nightstand, wardrobe, slatted panel headboard, custom-designed kitchen, and a corner shower enclosure in the bathroom. The client will use the house on weekends.

A 60 m² container house with three bedrooms, including a master suite and two children’s bedrooms. The team’s assembly took five business days, and the structure came pre-finished from the factory.

What’s worth buying in Paraguay in 2026 reveals an absurd difference in electronics, with MacBook over R$ 11 thousand cheaper and PS5 for half the price.