The University of Oxford will lead a project to help tidal stream energy reach its potential, backed with a GBP-7-million (USD 8.9m/EUR 8.2m) investment from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), it was announced today.
The initiative, called Co-design to deliver Scalable Tidal Stream Energy (CoTide), will bring together three multi-disciplinary teams from the universities of Oxford, Edinburgh and Strathclyd to tackle key challenges facing the tidal energy sector.
“We have a huge opportunity as a country to harness the powerful tides that surround us and use innovative engineering to develop greater energy security and solutions to help meet our 2050 net zero goals,” said project lead professor Richard Willden from the University of Oxford.
According to the announcement tidal stream systems across the UK have the potential to generate over 6 GW. However, there are technical hurdles to overcome as tidal stream systems need to optimise power generation and ensure reliability in harsh marine conditions marked by corrosive seawater and variable loads caused by waves and turbulence.
The researchers will work with a number of industry stakeholders and regulatory bodies including EDF Energy Plc, Arkema International, the Health and Safety Executive, and the Marine Energy Council.
(GBP 1 = USD 1.273/EUR 1.170)
