Tidal Power News

A European project, led by one of Scotland’s leading tidal developers, has demonstrated that the cost of tidal energy could potentially be reduced by as much as 40 percent, and has produced findings that could redefine the boundaries on what can be achieved by tidal power globally. The $22m EnFAIT (Enabling Future Arrays in Tidal) Horizon 2020 project, brought together  seven partners including Scottish tidal developer Nova Innovation, who manage the world’s first offshore tidal array - the Shetland Tidal Array…

Sustainable Marine said it has successfully harnessed the tidal currents in Canada’s Bay of Fundy, delivering the first floating in-stream tidal power to Nova Scotia’s grid.Nova Scotia has allocated circa 30MW of capacity via demonstration permits and berths at FORCE (Fundy Ocean Research Center for Energy) for developers to demonstrate their energy generation prowess. “Achieving ‘first power’ to the grid from our new platform in Grand Passage signals a real inflection point for our business,” said Jason Hayman, CEO, Sustainable Marine.

Spain plans to install floating wind turbines on the deep waters off its coasts with capacity to generate between 1 and 3 gigawatts of power by 2030, its Energy and Environment Ministry said on Wednesday.As part of a global shift away from carbon-emitting fossil fuels, governments and companies are seeking new ways to harness power generation from renewable energies like wind and solar.Spain has one of the world's largest onshore wind fleets, but its coastal waters are too deep to allow the installation of turbines that have allowed greater wind speeds and extra space to be exploited offshore

Harnessing the power of the tides is not for the squeamish, with the roster of trials and failures long and distinguished. Jason Hayman and his Sustainable Marine Energy crew are putting their tech to the test in one of the harshest spots on the planet, the Bay of Fundy, as his discussed with Marine Technology TV.Jason, to start, how did you come to a career in the offshore renewable energy field?I suppose my interest got piqued back in about 2003. I went to a lecture at the University of Newcastle and they had a wave energy crowd there and a tidal energy developer.

Custom-fabricated structural bearings are being introduced by Hercules Engineering for extremely high stress applications in structures requiring outstanding load-bearing performance, even in compact or wet spaces in applications such as ports loaders, land and marine logistics and resources exploration and processing structures.The latest Herculon structural bearings are manufactured by integrating H-Glide fiber-reinforced composite pads sliding on 2B finish stainless steel to achieve an exceptionally low sliding coefficient of friction compared with other engineering bearing materials…

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.

Research by HR Wallingford at the SeaGen tidal power project site at Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland has shown that the impact of tidal power turbines on marine wildlife may be significantly lower than previously estimated.As questions are asked about the impact of turbine blades on marine wildlife, scientists have developed a sophisticated fish collision model for the burgeoning tidal power industry.The model, developed by HR Wallingford, predicts collision rates more accurately than ever before by incorporating the real swimming behaviors of different species of fish for the first time. The journal of ‘Renewable Energy’ has just published a study using the model…

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.

Simec Atlantis Energy is set to team up with General Electric (GE) to develop the world's largest tidal stream turbine.According to a press release from Simec, its Atlantis Turbine and Engineering Services (ATES) division will enter into a Technology Partnership and Preferred Supplier Agreement (TPPSA) with GE’s Power Conversion business (GE).Under the terms of the partnership agreement, both parties will work together and share resources for the ongoing development of utility scale tidal energy generation and associated energy storage solutions. They will also engage in joint marketing activities to promote their innovative new subsea connection technologies and the wider benefits of cleaner…

Schottel, the manufacturer of propulsion and steering systems for ships and offshore applications, has made a strategic decision to merge its tidal energy businesses into Sustainable Marine Energy (SME), including UK subsidiary TidalStream Ltd and Canadian subsidiary Black Rock Tidal Power Inc (BRTP)."Following the successful collaboration between SME, Schottel Hydro and Black Rock Tidal Power to develop and demonstrate the PLAT-I floating tidal energy system, with deployments in Scotland and in Canada, Schottel has made a strategic decision to merge its tidal energy businesses into SME," said a press statement from Sustainable Marine Energy.The provider of tidal energy technology anchor solutions for marine current turbines said that  Schottel  has transferred all its tidal energy assets…

Swedish floating wind turbine player SeaTwirl has joined the Ocean Energy Scale-Up Alliance (OESA) that has been granted funding from the Interreg North Sea Region.SeaTwirl is a vertical floating wind turbine that was tested off the west coast of Sweden in 2011. It is also the name of the company that produces the turbine.OESA, which is coordinated by the Dutch Marine Energy Center, has been granted funding from Interreg North Sea Region for a three-year project which aims to accelerate the deployment of large-scale ocean energy pilots in the North Sea.13 partners are tied to OESA, where eight of the partners will provide services for the pilot projects of the remaining five.The service providers are Dutch Marine Energy Center…

Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK) and Japanese telecom giant MTI have reached an agreement to participate in a long-term demonstration of tidal energy being sponsored by MAKO Energy and Sentosa Development Corporation, which will provide the demonstration site.The demonstration will start next spring in a first-time attempt to commercialize tidal energy in Singapore.MAKO Energy is the Singapore-based subsidiary of Elemental Energy Technologies, a tidal turbine developer that has interest and expertise in the area of renewable energy solutions, particularly tidal power and its applications. Sentosa Development Corporation is a statutory board under the Ministry of Trade and Industry of Singapore…

The developer of tidal energy projects SIMEC Atlantis Energy announced the formation of a joint venture company with Development Agency for Normandy (AD Normandy) for the purpose of developing a large-scale project in Raz Blanchard, Normandie.The joint venture company, Normandie Hydrolienne, will establish an operational presence in Normandy and Atlantis will hold a majority stake, said a press release. AD Normandy is the regional agency for economic development in Normandy and regional investment fund Normandie ParticipationsNormandie Hydrolienne has been established with the intention of eventually harnessing up to 2GW of power from the Alderney Race…

The floating tidal turbine developer Scotrenewables Tidal Power Limited has announced a comprehensive company-wide rebranding to Orbital Marine Power.The new name is inspired by the orbital cycle of the moon around the earth, the reliable provider of tidal energy. Speaking about the rebranding, Andrew Scott, CEO, said: “After a comprehensive exercise, we are really pleased to introduce our new brand identity, and to do so at such an exciting time for the business, as we begin the build of our next generation turbine, the Orbital O2 2MW (previously referred to as the SR2 2000).”The Orbital Marine name and corporate identity will carry through to subsidiaries…

Founded by Robert W. Fernstrum 67 years ago, R.W. Fernstrum & Company is currently run by its third generation of Fernstrum. This long-tenured maritime staple has seen its fair share of maritime cycles, and in today’s challenging market it is not standing still. The company is digging for, and finding, business in all four corners of the world, above water and below, as Sean Fernstrum, President & owner, and his team explain. “Diversify, diversify, diversify … always,” is the…

The compact and high performance ROBA-DS disk pack couplings by mayr power transmission have been certified by DNV GL. They ensure maximum possible operational and functional safety for users on the high seas. Whether in the drives of ship propellers, mobile platforms such as drilling platforms for oil and gas extraction, or also in tidal power plants – the areas of application for disk pack couplings in the maritime industry are diverse. For example, if the main drive of a ship propeller is an electric motor, then spring steel disk pack couplings such as the ROBA-DS by mayr power transmission provide decisive advantages. These couplings are robust, reliable and temperature-resistant: They are therefore particularly suitable for use in extreme environmental conditions at sea.

Tidal power is moving beyond the prototype stage for state-backed French naval shipbuilder DCNS, which is targeting a billion euros in sales from the technology in the next decade. DCNS, which is 35 percent owned by defence group Thales and 64 percent by the French state, builds warships and submarines but aims to sell its first commercial tidal power system in four years and wants to get up to 25 percent of its sales from renewable marine energies by 2025. The firm bought Ireland's OpenHydro…

Classification society ClassNK informs it has released a summary of the latest industry developments in its annual Technical Bulletin, which this year covers topics including marine energy usage, research on fatigue strength and R&D project outcomes. The opening paper explores the possibilities and challenges of tidal power, offshore wind power, and wave power, and outlines tidal power generation systems around the world. A technical report then takes a broad look at the trend of ocean energy development in Japan and ClassNK’s initiatives related to the certification of renewable ocean energy power generation devices. As the average size of containerships increases…

Wärtsilä Corporation, a global leader in complete lifecycle power solutions for the marine and energy markets, expands into a new market segment, offering a comprehensive package of seals, bearings and associated solutions to hydropower installations and industrial plants worldwide. Wärtsilä offers a wide portfolio of products and services to power plant owners and operators. By utilising Wärtsilä's global engineering, manufacturing and service capabilities, the Hydro & Industrial services offering targets the specific needs of hydropower, tidal energy and offshore wind installations as well as mining, paper, oil & gas, water management and power generation industries.

Tim Cornelius, CEO of global tidal developer Atlantis Resources has taken a seat on the Board of Directors of Ocean Energy Europe – the industry group for ocean renewable energy – by becoming a Lead Sponsor of the organisation. The move reflects Atlantis’ position as a leading developer of commercial tidal power projects and underpins its commitment to driving the market for ocean renewable energy. Following its acquisition of pioneering tidal company Marine Current Turbines earlier this year, Atlantis Resources now owns one of the largest and most diverse portfolios in the business, with a project pipeline of 600MW. This portfolio includes the 398MW MeyGen project, the world’s largest planned tidal stream array which is currently under construction in the Pentland Firth, Scotland.

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…

Damen Shipyards Group delivered a Multi Cat 2613 on April 30, 2015 to Orkney, Scotland-based chartering company Scotmarine to be used for offshore tidal activities in Scotland’s Northern Isles. The hull of the new vessel was in stock and customized for the client earlier this year. The 50-metric-ton bollard pull vessel has a large crane and will replace the stock vessel Multi Cat Orcadia Scotmarine purchased three years ago. Scotmarine will deploy the new vessel in developing underwater tidal energy farms for Scot Renewables Tidal Power.