Top news, October 29 – November 4, 2018

MarineEnergy.biz has compiled the top news from marine energy industry from October 29 until November 4, 2018.


Europeans cofund 8 ocean energy demonstrations

The Ocean Energy ERA-NET (OCEANERA-NET) Cofund consortium has allocated €8 million to eight research and demonstration projects in the marine energy sector.

The projects, resulting from the Cofunded Joint Call 2017, will test and validate new technologies for wave, tidal and ocean thermal energy production.

The projects are just getting started and over the next three years will develop, test and validate new technologies and approaches which will contribute to lowering the cost of energy and accelerating the commercialization of the sector, according to project consortium.


Shetland tidal array goes ‘baseload’ with Tesla battery

Scottish cleantech company Nova Innovation has integrated its tidal energy array with Tesla battery storage to deliver grid-connected baseload power station.

Since the start of October 2018, the UK grid has been supplied by Nova’s Tidal Energy Storage System (TESS) demonstrator which integrates the company’s Shetland Tidal Array with Tesla’s Powerpack battery technology to provide clean power ‘on demand’.

Simon Forrest, CEO at Nova Innovation, said: “By storing the clean energy generated by the natural ebb and flow of the tide, we can control the supply of electricity to the grid to match demand.”


SIMEC Atlantis targets 40% MeyGen yield increase

SIMEC Atlantis Energy has revealed plans to deliver 40% more yield from the MeyGen tidal energy array by installing two of its new 2MW tidal turbines to the scheme.

When installed, the new Atlantis turbines – capable of generating up to 2.0MW using more powerful generators and larger rotor diameters – will use a new subsea connection hub and share a single export cable, enhancing the existing 6MW MeyGen array.

The innovations will significantly reduce project infrastructure costs by removing the requirement for a dedicated export cable per turbine and should also result in reduced vessel installation costs, according to the company.


Orbital Marine grabs over €1 million tidal funds

Scottish tidal turbine developer Orbital Marine Power, and drivetrain solutions provider SKF, have been awarded €1.2 million to deliver performance improvement technology for tidal energy turbine.

The companies have been awarded research funds by the European Ocean Energy ERA-NET Cofund to support a pitch controller project that will improve the performance of Orbital Marine’s floating tidal turbine.

The project TOPFLOTE, short for Targeted Optimal Pitch module for Floating Tidal Energy, is expected to deliver a controller for floating tidal turbine blades allowing the blades’ pitch angle to be readily varied in real time to manage dynamic loadings and optimize power performance.


Waves and tides form stronger tie-up

Swedish wave developer CorPower Ocean and UK-based tidal player Sustainable Marine Energy (SME) have joined forces to tackle foundations and moorings for marine energy devices.

The €2.3 million wave and tidal collaboration is expected to result in the development and demonstration of generic foundation mooring solution that will reduce cost and improve O&M methods.

The project, called UMACK – Universal Mooring, Anchor & Connectivity Kit Demonstration, will address ocean energy affordability, survivability, reliability and installation through the demonstration of a generic anchor-foundation-mooring-connectivity system which aims to reduce capital and installation costs by up to 50%.