CoTide project gets £7m to make tidal energy cheaper and more reliable

Three multidisciplinary teams from the universities of Oxford, Edinburgh and Strathclyde will work together on the CoTide (Co-design to deliver scalable tidal stream energy) project, with investment from THE ENGINEERING AND PHYSICAL SCIENCES RESEARCH COUNCIL (EPSRC).

“Achieving the UK’s target to reach net zero by 2050 requires the decarbonisation of all our energy supplies and a huge expansion of renewable generation from the current 50GW to 120-300GW,” said UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), which includes the EPSRC.

“The powerful tides that surround the UK remain under-utilised but have huge potential as a source of greener power that could make a significant contribution to this goal. Plus, unlike the wind and the Sun, tides ebb and flow at predictable times every day, and so have the advantage that they can provide power that is both renewable and reliable.”

The CoTide project will develop integrated engineering tools and solutions, together with concept designs and laboratory demonstrations. Areas of expertise amongst the researchers include rotor materials, device hydrodynamics, composites and environmental modelling.

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