Orbital wins EU approval for tidal array

Orbital Marine Power has secured European Commission approval to move its EURO-TIDES tidal energy project into construction, marking a major milestone for commercial tidal power development.

The four-turbine array will be deployed at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney, Scotland, with installation targeted for 2028, subject to completion of Orbital’s current investment round.

Selected to lead the project under Horizon Europe funding in October 2023, Orbital has now passed a formal review covering engineering, permits and financing.

The array will comprise three next-generation O2-X turbines and one O2 turbine, which is already generating electricity for the UK grid. The project will mark the first time Orbital’s turbines have been connected and operated together as a single tidal energy farm.

Once operational, the array is expected to generate enough electricity to power approximately 9,200 homes, equivalent to around 85% of households in Orkney.

Oliver Wragg, Orbital Marine Power’s development director, said the approval represented a ‘powerful vote of confidence’ in the company’s technology and tidal energy’s commercial potential.

“Having successfully proven the O2, we are now taking the next major step, demonstrating that our turbines can operate together as a connected array at commercial scale,” he said.

The project aims to demonstrate that multiple tidal turbines can operate reliably together, helping reduce costs, strengthen supply chains and build confidence among investors and insurers.

Rémi Gruet, chief executive of Ocean Energy Europe, said the decision was ‘much more than a project milestone’ and represented an important step towards commercialising tidal energy across Europe.

He added that predictable, home-grown renewable electricity could strengthen energy security while complementing wind and solar power.

EURO-TIDES brings together Orbital, EMEC, the University of Edinburgh and several European research and industry partners. The project aims to support a future European pipeline of more than 2GW of tidal energy projects, helping move the sector from individual demonstrations towards commercial-scale deployment.