Aberdeen 21 May 2009: Lunar Energy, the Britain's leading tidal power company, has announced a successful milestone trial of the Rotech Tidal Turbine (RTT), a submersible turbine which is placed on the seabed to capture and convert tidal power into electricity

The RTT's 1MW commercial prototype's power train has successfully synchronised to a simulated grid and produced electricity in dry testing.

This recent development comes on the back of Lunar Energy's agreement with Korean Midland Power Co (KOMIPO), to supply a giant 300-turbine field in the Wando Hoenggan Water Way off the South Korean coast. The field is expected to supply electricity generated by tidal power to 200 000 Korean homes by 2015.

A commercial prototype unit is also expected to be deployed at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney over the next year.

Lunar Energy Chairman William Law said: "Building on this success, we will carry out further endurance testing in the run up to the installation at EMEC. In addition, Lunar Energy is actively pursuing early commercial opportunities and has submitted a bid to the Crown Estate for the development of a demonstration field in the Pentland Firth."

Notes to Editors

Founded in 2001, Lunar Energy is at the forefront in developing an economical and variable submerged tidal turbine with the aim of producing reliable renewable energy in an unobtrusive manner.

Lunar Energy developed its technology with Rotech Engineering Limited whose design, the Rotech Tidal Turbine (RTT), is patent protected and is designed to capture and convert tidal stream energy into renewable electricity. Due to the modular build of these submersible turbines they can be easily grouped to suit tidal streams in suitable locations worldwide.

At the heart of the Rotech Tidal (RTT) Technology design is a simple horizontal axis symmetrical turbine using a ducted design to capture and maximise the reversing natural currents of the oceans to generate viable low cost renewable energy. Energy is provided to the generator via marine-standard hydraulic motors.

Lunar Energy is based at Hessle, East Yorkshire and has research and development facilities in Aberdeen.