Orbital to lead EU-backed tidal turbine project

Scotland-based tidal stream energy company Orbital Marine Power said today it has been selected by the European Commission’s Horizon Europe Programme to lead a 9.6-MW, multi-turbine tidal energy project.

The project, called EURO-TIDES, will involve accelerating the commercial deployment of Orbital’s floating tidal stream technology, its plus-2-MW O2 tidal turbine. It will support the technology’s commercialisation programme through work to demonstrate manufacturing solutions compatible with series production, the optimisation of long-term operation and maintenance programmes, as well as accumulation of accelerated operational performance data.

The project will also work to bring forward commercial-scale tidal projects in French waters, the company said.

Orbital is partnering on the project with Ocean Energy Europe, Laborelec, Marasoft, European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC), Center for Wind Power Drives (CWD) of RWTH Aachen University, Energie De La Lune and the University of Edinburgh.

Orbital Marine Power chief executive Andrew Scott said the company is looking forward to moving forward with EURO-TIDES at pace early in 2024.

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