Imagine underwater windmills that capture the steady push of the ocean's tides instead of wind. This project is building a small fleet of these machines to prove they can work together reliably over many years. By moving from one-off tests to a real farm, they are making the technology cheaper and easier to insure for big investors.
Tidal energy is currently limited to single-device deployments with high costs of capital (10-12%) and low manufacturing volumes (1 device/year), making it too risky for large-scale investment.
A 9.6MW pilot farm design including 33 kV electrical infrastructure and drilled anchor installation methods for floating tidal arrays.
If you are a utility developer dealing with unpredictable wind and solar output — this project developed a 9.6MW pilot farm that provides predictable energy. It aims to reduce the cost of capital from 10%-12% down to 5%-6% through verified operational data.
If you are a manufacturer dealing with low-volume, expensive production of ocean turbines — this project developed industrial design processes that increase supply chain capacity from one device per year to 80 devices per year.
If you are an installation firm dealing with high risks in deep-water anchoring — this project developed new 33 kV electrical infrastructure and drilled anchor installation methodologies for floating arrays.
The project aims to reduce the Levelised Cost of Energy (LCOE) for floating tidal technology from €120/MWh to less than €100/MWh.
The project will deliver a 9.6MW farm consisting of four 2.4MW Orbital tidal energy devices.
Based on available project data, the project focuses on making performance, reliability, and behavior data publicly available to accelerate commercialization.
The farm is scheduled for deployment in 2027 and will run under full operational conditions for 15 years.
By providing 17,520 hours of operational data and producing over 50GWh, the project seeks to reduce the cost of capital from 10%-12% to 5%-6%.
The consortium is highly industry-driven, with a 50% industry ratio (4 out of 8 partners). It includes 3 SMEs and spans 5 countries (BE, DE, FR, NL, UK), indicating a strong commercial focus on scaling manufacturing and deployment rather than pure academic research.
Contact ASSOCIATION EUROPEENNE DE L'ENERGIE DE L'OCEAN
Contact us to connect with the EURO-TIDES consortium for supply chain opportunities.
