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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Scottish company Mocean Energy has secured €875,000 to accelerate the commercial roll-out of its wave energy technology and drive its adoption in offshore oil and gas sector.

Mocean Energy has raised a little over €875,000 equity funding from existing funders, led by angel syndicate Equity Gap, together with Old College Capital, The University of Edinburgh’s in-house venture investment fund, and Scottish Enterprise.

The new funds will enable the company to advance the design of its next-generation Blue Star wave machine and drive its adoption in subsea oil and gas, Mocean Energy said.

Last year, the company successfully trialed its Blue X prototype at sea at the EMEC: European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney, and is currently collaborating with partners to advance a demonstrator project, called ‘Renewables for Subsea Power’.

Mocean Energy has seen increasing interest from the oil and gas sector and has opened a dedicated office in Aberdeen to meet customer demand, while the firm’s staff has grown to 17.

The new funds follow a €1.03 million seed raise which was completed in 2020, comprising €735,000 equity funding plus €300,000 grant from Innovate UK, the UK government’s innovation agency.

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The UK government has announced its biggest investment in a generation into tidal power, kickstarting a new chapter for the UK’s tidal energy industry.

The UK Government will invest £20 million per year across the UK in tidal stream electricity as part of its flagship renewable energy auction scheme. This will strengthen energy security by adding to our diverse, renewable electricity supply and create jobs across the UK’s coastal communities.

As part of the fourth allocation round of the Contracts for Difference Scheme due to open next month, the UK Government will ensure that £20 million per year will be ringfenced for tidal stream energy projects, giving the marine energy sector a chance to develop their technology and lower their costs in a similar way to the offshore wind industry. This will bring the total funding for this allocation round to £285 million per year UK wide.

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Orbital Marine Power Ltd O2, the world’s most powerful tidal turbine, has commenced grid connected power generation at the EMEC: European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney. The innovative, floating turbine is anchored in the Fall of Warness where a subsea cable connects the 2MW offshore unit to the local onshore electricity network.

Manufactured and launched in Dundee Forth Ports Limited earlier in the year before being towed up to Orkney, the O2 is Orbital’s first commercial turbine and represents the culmination of more than 15 years of world leading product development in the UK.

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Spanish tidal energy developer Magallanes Renovables has returned to the EMEC: European Marine Energy Centre tidal test site in Orkney for the re-installation of its turbine following upgrades.

Magallanes’ second-generation 2MW tidal platform, ATIR, was reinstalled last week following removal for maintenance and optimisation. The Magallanes team worked in collaboration with Orkney-based marine service provider Leask Marine Ltd, along with the Orkney Harbour Authority tug Thor, to install the platform in an operation lasting eight hours.

In order to optimise the performance the platform was transported to the dry dock of Dales Marine Services Ltd for maintenance, supported by GAP, Leask Marine Ltd, Briggs Marine & Forth Ports Limited.

The maintenance involved having to position the platform horizontally in the sea by using a system of buoys to fit into the dry dock via the locks. During this positioning operation in Leith, maintenance tasks were carried out to optimise the platform, including anti-fouling & performance verification, to allow the platform to operate more efficiently.

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Scottish floating tidal turbine technology provider Orbital Marine Power Ltd has successfully launched its 2MW tidal turbine, the Orbital O2, from the Port of Dundee Forth Ports Limited.

The operation was managed by Osprey Group and saw the 680-tonne tidal turbine transferred from the Forth Ports quayside facility in Dundee into the River Tay using a submersible barge.

The launch marks the completion of the turbine build, managed by TEXO, and the O2 will now be towed to the Orkney Islands, where it will undergo commissioning before being connected to the EMEC: European Marine Energy Centre , becoming the world’s most powerful operational tidal turbine.

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THAMES BATHS (BY STUDIO OCTOPI) Potted history of lidos on the Thames. Modern day plans for a sustainable lido.