European funding for tidal energy project
A total of €750,000 in funding from the Eurostars Programme has been awarded to marine energy companies Minesto and Atlantis Resources for a project that aims to reduce the cost of tidal energy.
The companies say the funds will be used to reduce the cost of tidal power plants by creating cost effective high reliability tidal turbine blades and wings of composite materials. The total value of the project, which is a collaboration between the two tidal energy developers, is €1.5m.
“Constant innovation and collaboration in the development of tidal turbines will be critical to the commercialisation of the industry globally. This funding and consequent partnership will enable us to design and build even better turbines, capable of operating at even greater efficiency in the most hostile of environments,” said Tim Cornelius, CEO, Atlantis.
In the project, key components of Minesto’s and Atlantis’ tidal energy converters will be jointly developed. Minesto has a unique, patented and internationally awarded technology, Deep Green, with the unique ability to produce cost effective electricity from both low flow tidal and ocean currents. In this project, Minesto says it will further develop the wing.
The project will also involve Atlantis completing material testing to understand the nature of the complex composite materials used in blade manufacture.
By Rachael Doyle
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