Two tidal farms win €15 million funding

Projects in 18 EU countries in categories including renewable energy, energy storage, industrial carbon management and net zero mobility (including maritime and aviation) will benefit from the awards, bringing the total now invested in such areas to €12 billion and the number of projects awarded to 70.

Hydroquest

Based in Grenoble, Hydroquest began its turbine technology with a river turbine.

It now has three projects on the go: a tidal stream project (TIGER) with 8MW tidal capacity at a few locations around the Channel region; a 1MW prototype demonstration in tests at Brittany; and the 17MW ‘FloWatt’ pilot farm for which it has won funding.

“Located in Normandy in the Raz Blanchard, one of the most energetic tidal currents on the planet, FloWatt will be the most powerful tidal turbine farm ever deployed,” the company says – suggesting it could have a generation capacity of 4GW.

The plan is to install seven HQ 2.5 turbines (2.5MW each) that it has developed in partnership with Qair and shareholder CMN.

The farm is scheduled to go online by 2026, Hydroquest says.

“The co-financing by the State of the FloWatt project is an essential milestone for the success of our growth strategy in marine tidal energy, initiated by our shipyard for 10 years,” said CMN  president director general Serge Quaranta. 

”The construction of the seven tidal turbines, which we are eager to start, is only a step towards large-scale commercial development in France and internationally that will allow us to build dozens of tidal turbines per year here, in Cherbourg-en-Cotentin. To achieve this, it is essential that ambitious volumes of calls for tenders are included in the future Multi-Year Energy Programme.”

Normandie Hydroliennes

Also in Normandy’s Raz Blanchard, Normandie Hydroliennes has received the award for its four 3MW tidal turbines, which it says are the most powerful in the world to date.

The NH1 pilot farm, says the company, is being developed with an 80% French supply chain and can generate 33.9GWh per year, powering 15, households.

The turbines will be installed about km west of the coast of Cap de la Hague, where there are very strong currents to be taken advantage of.

Normandie Hydroliennes is also participating in the TIGER project.