Imagine a giant underwater windmill. This project makes the blades much larger and smarter so they can catch more of the ocean's current. It also tests new materials that can be recycled instead of ending up in a landfill. By monitoring the blades in real-time, the system knows exactly when they need a tune-up before they break.
Tidal energy is currently too expensive and risky for wide-scale investment due to component uncertainty and low energy yield. There is also a lack of recyclable materials for the massive blades used in these turbines.
A cost-optimized 13m blade design and a 5MW tidal array consisting of at least two units for performance verification.
If you are an operator dealing with high electricity production costs — this project developed a 13m length blade that increases rotor swept area by 70%. This leads to a site average yield increase of 22% and reduces the levelized cost of energy by 13%.
If you are a manufacturer dealing with strict waste regulations — this project developed a roadmap for recyclable thermoplastic resins. This allows you to produce large-scale turbine blades that fit circular economy requirements.
If you are a maintenance firm dealing with expensive underwater inspections — this project developed advanced blade condition monitoring and digital asset management. This reduces uncertainty in component performance and lowers the cost of raising finance for rollout.
It aims for a site-averaged €30/MWh cost reduction by increasing the rotor swept area by 70% and optimizing blade design. This specifically targets a 20% reduction in the levelized cost of energy for Orbital's technology.
The project includes building a tidal array of at least two units (approximately 5MW). This involves testing 8 blades across 4 rotors to gather 120,000 hours of performance data.
Based on available project data, the project focuses on developing four optimized designs for 20, 22, 24, and 26m rotor diameters, but specific licensing terms are not listed.
The project follows a sequence of a 2-year design phase, an 18-month build phase, and a final 2-year performance verification period.
It addresses legislative requirements by implementing circular economy principles and testing recyclable thermoplastic resins for the composite blades.
The consortium is heavily industry-weighted with a 44% industry ratio, comprising 4 industrial partners and 4 SMEs across 5 countries. This balance suggests a strong focus on commercialization, combining the academic rigor of 2 universities and 1 research center with the practical manufacturing capabilities of the European composite sector.
Contact FMC Technologies Spolka z o.o. in Poland regarding blade scaling and composite materials.
Contact SciTransfer to identify partners for tidal energy array deployment.
