SKF (U.K) LIMITED

Their core work

SKF is the UK subsidiary of the global SKF Group, one of the world's leading manufacturers of bearings, seals, and rotating equipment solutions. In the H2020 context, they contribute specialized bearing and drivetrain component expertise to tidal and marine renewable energy projects, helping turbine developers design reliable power take-off systems for harsh offshore environments. Their role is consistently that of an industrial component supplier providing proven mechanical engineering know-how to emerging ocean energy technologies.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

SKF's H2020 involvement shows a consistent and deepening commitment to tidal energy rather than a dramatic pivot. Their early projects (2016–2019: FloTEC, TAOIDE, TIPA) focused on proving tidal turbine component reliability and accelerating power take-off technology. More recent projects (EnFAIT, FORWARD-2030) shift toward commercial-scale array deployment and integration with broader energy systems including power-to-x, signalling a move from component testing toward full system commercialization.

SKF is moving from supplying components for tidal energy prototypes toward supporting large-scale commercial tidal arrays and integrated energy systems, making them a valuable partner for ocean energy scale-up projects.

How they like to work

SKF operates almost exclusively as a third-party contributor (4 of 5 projects), providing specialized industrial components rather than leading research agendas. They have never coordinated an H2020 project, which is typical of large industrial companies that contribute in-kind expertise and products. With 36 unique partners across 8 countries, they connect broadly across the European tidal energy community but do so from a supporting position rather than as a consortium hub.

SKF has collaborated with 36 unique partners across 8 countries through the tidal energy research community. Their network is concentrated in the European marine renewables sector, likely centered on UK, Irish, and Scandinavian tidal energy developers and research institutions.

What sets them apart

SKF brings something rare to tidal energy consortia: deep industrial manufacturing capability for bearings and rotating equipment, backed by over a century of global engineering experience. While most tidal energy participants are research institutes or specialist SMEs, SKF offers supply chain readiness and proven reliability engineering that is critical for moving from prototypes to commercial deployment. For any consortium building a tidal array project, SKF provides the credibility that components will actually survive decades in seawater.

Highlights from their portfolio

• FORWARD-2030
  Most ambitious scope — targeting 2030MW of tidal energy deployment with power-to-x integration, running through 2027, representing the commercialization frontier.
• TAOIDE
  The only project where SKF participated directly (not as third party) and received EC funding (EUR 281,112), focused on electrical systems for ocean energy devices.
• EnFAIT
  Longest-running project (2017–2023) focused on enabling future tidal arrays, directly addressing the scale-up challenge from single turbines to commercial farms.