Tidal Energy Project News

HydroWing is gearing up for deployment of its tidal energy technology, following the recent announcement that it has been awarded a contract for a 10MW tidal stream energy project in Wales.HydroWing was the largest tidal stream project in Wales to be successful in the UK government’s latest Contracts for Difference round. The project will be located at the Morlais tidal energy site in Anglesey, which is managed by the social enterprise Menter Môn. The Morlais site is the UK’s largest consented tidal energy scheme.Richard Parkinson…

At the SMM Hamburg's Offshore Dialogue online conference on February 2, international experts will discuss current trends in the offshore wind farms segment, technical challenges facing tidal and wave energy conversion, and innovative ocean monitoring technologies."About 70% of our planet is covered by water. The Earth's oceans play a key role in shaping the global climate. The more important it is to gather and evaluate as much information as possible about the composition of this ecosystem and how it changes.

UK-based HydroWing and Dutch tidal energy developer Tocardo are working on a solution that will convert tidal energy into hydrogen, store it and offload it - similar to an FPSO in the oil and gas industry - to overcome the intermittency as well as the transportation issues.The concept called the THyPSO (Tidal Hydrogen Production, Storage and Offloading) includes a floating platform housing 1 – 6 conventional bi-directional tidal turbines converting the tidal flows into electricity…

Enabling Future Arrays in Tidal (EnFAIT), the flagship EU tidal energy project, has reduced the cost of tidal energy by 15 per cent and grown its supply chain from four to 14 EU countries, just 18 months after its launch.EnFAIT is an academic-industry collaboration between nine European partners focused on demonstrating the economic viability of tidal power. The project is also paving the way for a new industrial marine manufacturing sector with a supply chain based across Europe.Consortium lead, Edinburgh-based Nova Innovation Ltd, reports that its Shetland tidal array–the world’s first offshore tidal array–has reduced operational costs by 15 per cent since the start of the project.

When one thinks of offshore renewable energy, one usually thinks of offshore wind. For the first time progress is being made in the U.S. to develop offshore wind resources. The first steel foundation jacket has been placed in the ocean floor to support the Deepwater Wind project off the coast of Block Island, Rhode Island. (See www.dwwind.com/press/#/1). But recently, progress is also being made in the development of tidal and wave energy resources closer to shore, which are known as marine hydrokinetic or MHK resources.

While the recent swoon in world oil and gas prices has predictably cooled a number of offshore renewable projects, there is a palpable change regarding the way in which the world views renewable energy. Renewable energy projects, at one time merely serving as window dressing, are slowly weaving their way into the mainstream energy mix, with European countries, namely the U.K., leading the way. In November world leaders will arrive in Paris to negotiate a new global agreement on climate change…

The first BlueTEC Tidal Energy platform was formally named by the Mayor of Texel, the Netherlands this morning. The floating platform, which holds tidal turbines below the sea surface, will soon be positioned near the island of Texel – supplying clean electricity to the Dutch grid. This first BlueTEC will serve as a demonstration platform targeted at remote locations worldwide, such as islands in Indonesia, Philippines and the Pacific. It is also the start of further development of higher capacity tidal energy platforms, to be deployed in large farms. “We are very pleased that we have reached this exciting milestone for our first floating tidal demonstration platform,” says Bluewater’s Head of New Energy Allard van Hoeken at the naming ceremony. Mr.

Dutch-based Damen Shipyards Group has become the latest member of the World Ocean Council (WOC). The global shipbuilder headquartered in the Netherlands is the first European shipbuilder to join the WOC, the international business leadership alliance on ocean sustainability, science and stewardship. Damen works to reduce environmental impacts of shipping, by focusing on optimizing ship design and working on product innovations. This has resulted in, for example, the E3 label, applying to new Damen designs that are environmentally friendly, efficient in operation and economically viable. In addition, Damen recently formed partnerships with the Bellona Foundation, the Oslo-based institute for sustainable environmental solutions, and with the BlueTec Tidal Energy project.

Damen Shipyards Group  has become the latest member of the World Ocean Council (WOC). Damen is the first European shipbuilder to join the WOC, the international business leadership alliance on ocean sustainability, science and stewardship. By focusing on optimizing ship design and working on product innovations, Damen works to  reduce environmental impacts of shipping. This has resulted in, for example, an in-house E3 label, applying only to new Damen designs that are Environmentally friendly, Efficient in operation and Economically viable.

Nova Scotia's efforts to harness the power of the highest tides in the world are accelerating this year, and more people are joining the project to help ensure its success. Today, speaking to industry, science, and government representatives at the Nova Scotia Energy Research and Development Forum, Tony Wright, general manager of FORCE (the Fundy Ocean Research Center for Energy), announced two new staff members and two new volunteer board members have joined the team to help realize the clean energy potential in the Bay of Fundy.

OceanWorks International has been awarded a contract by the Fundy Ocean Research Center for Energy (FORCE) to instrument a cable termination for a ground breaking tidal energy project in the Bay of Fundy. The project includes the design, manufacture and integration of the subsea instrumentation, shore station, and commissioning. FORCE is deploying four power cables to connect prototype instream tidal turbines to a dedicated electrical sub-station. By providing this infrastructure, FORCE is lowering the ‘barrier to entry’ for turbine manufactures to test their equipment in one of the most demanding tidal environments. The planned deployment will take place in Atlantic Canada’s Bay of Fundy, which is renowned for having the highest tidal range in the world.

According to official studies, the theoretical worldwide generation potential of tidal energy has been estimated at over 7,800 TWh/year. Working to support the growth in this emerging sector of the renewable energy industry, tidal energy experts from GL Garrad Hassan are aiding Kawasaki Heavy Industries in the development and deployment of its 1MW prototype tidal turbine by providing technical information and guidance on tidal resources and technologies. Mr. Hiromitsu Kiyose, Project Manager of Kawasaki Tidal Energy Project said “It has been helpful to get support from GL Garrad Hassan, which has an excellent reputation in the renewable energy sector world-wide and indeed experienced in consulting business, for our development of the 1MW prototype tidal turbine.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued a notice stating that it received an application for a preliminary permit proposing to study the feasibility of a tidal energy project in Kootznahoo Inlet near the City of Angoon, Alaska. Comments on the application should be submitted within 60 days. 75 Fed. Reg. 53962 (September 2, 2010). (Source: Bryant’s Maritime News)