Tidal Energy News Update: January – April 2023

Compiled by David Hoyle, Tide Mill Institute

General Interest

Volume 4 Issue 3 March – Hydro Leader
This marine energy issue of Hydro Leader magazine includes an informative interview with Stuart Davies, CEO of Ocean Renewable Power Corporation. Also included are some worthwhile interviews with other tidal and wave energy entrepreneurs.

USA

Tapping the power of the sea: Company to begin testing tidal systems again
ORPC plans to begin testing their Advanced TidGen device in Cobscook Bay starting in May 2023. It will use an existing bottom support frame, and will generate 100-120 kW of power (to be dissipated as heat). ORPC will move operations to the Western Passage in 2025, implementing a full scale system with four turbines. They also plan to develop their 1-2 MW Optimor system in Western Passage. They have an agreement with Versant Power for up to 5 MW of power. ORPC also has a DOE Energy Transitions Initiative Partnership Project or ETIPP project with Eastport for a smart micro-grid integrating tidal and solar power with battery storage.

Earthrise | Tidal energy in the Salish Sea
Interesting article about a project involving Orbital Marine Power (see below under UK) around the San Juan Islands in the Salish Sea off of Washington state.

Canada

Tidal power developer slams DFO for years of delays, stops application for N.S. project | CBC News
Sustainable Marine Power announced recently that they have scrapped plans for expanded deployment at the Fundy Ocean Research Center for Energy (FORCE) test site due to permitting issues. This is seen as a blow to the tidal power industry at large.

Walton marina to assist BigMoon Power’s tidal energy project in Minas Basin | CBC News
A floating barge with a vertical wheel to be tested in the Bay of Fundy.

UK

Orbital Marine Power unveils tidal energy project in Orkney waters
Orbital Marine Power has recently been awarded an option agreement for a 30 MW project in the Westray Firth in the Orkneys. This would involve deployment of approximately 12 of its model O2 tidal turbines.

Fresh funding announced for tidal lagoon projects in Wales | Ground Engineering (GE)
The Blue Eden tidal lagoon planned for Swansea, Wales, will have a capacity of 320 MW. It is expected to cost 2.1 B$ and will take 12 years to build.

A tidal power ‘mega project’ in one of Europe’s iconic waterways could power 1 million homes. But costs are huge – Globe Echo
Mersey Tidal Power Project. Authorities in Liverpool are planning a tidal barrage power plant in the River Mersey using the UK’s second highest tides. The plant would have at least 1000 MW capacity (enough to power 1 million homes).

After years of costly failures, is tidal energy finally catching on?
This article is about the SAE Meygen project in Pentland Firth at the very northern tip of Scotland. In Meygen Phase 1, four 1.5 MW tidal stream turbines anchored to the seabed have been in operation since 2018 in some of the fastest tidal waters in the UK. The turbines have provided a record 50 million kWh of electricity to the local distribution network. Meygen has been awarded a Phase 2 contract for 28 MW with a target commissioning date of 2027. The total project capacity could be up to 398 MW.

Rest of Europe

First electricity produced from Minesto’s second foundation in Faroe Islands – Offshore Energy
Swedish tidal energy company Minesto began testing its first Dragon 4 tidal power kite off of the Faroe Islands between Scotland and Iceland in early summer 2022. They added a second 100 kW Dragon 4 kite this year. Minesto plans to deploy tidal kite arrays at four sites by 2030, generating a total of 120 MW and supplying 40% of Faroe’s electricity. The kite arrays will use Minesto’s Dragon 12 kites which produce 1.2 MW each. Installation of the first Dragon 12 kite is scheduled for spring 2023.