Project Partners

• Rolls-Royce
• Tidal Generations
• EMEC
• E-ON
• EDF Energy
• Garrad Hassan
• PML (Plymouth Marine Laboratory
• The University of Edinburgh

Overview

One of the key developments of the marine energy industry in the UK is the demonstration of near commercial scale devices in real sea-state conditions. Project ReDAPT will install an innovative 1MW tidal generator at the
European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney. The project will test the performance of the tidal generator in different operational conditions. Its aim is to increase public and industry confidence in tidal turbine technologies by providing a wide range of environmental impact and performance information, as well as demonstrating a new, reliable turbine design.

Project Partners

• Garrad Hassan
• EDF Energy
• E-ON
• The University of Edinburgh
• University of Oxford
• Queen's University Belfast
• The University of Manchester

Overview

This project is producing tools capable of accurately estimating the energy yield of major wave and tidal stream energy converters.

Numerical models of devices, interactions between devices in arrays and interactions between arrays at the coastal scale are being developed during the project. These models are being validated using extensive scale model tank testing and full scale data from in-service devices where appropriate. 

It will provide an accurate assessment of the likely cost of energy production from large scale wave and tidal arrays reducing the uncertainty and risk faced by marine array developers, utilities and investors. It will also help facilitate large scale deployment of marine energy arrays.

Project partner GL Garrad Hassan have produced a software tool with outputs from this project.

The software tool WaveDyn was launched in October 2012.

For more information on WaveDyn visit the GL Hassan website or view this brochure.

Project Partners

• MacArtney

Overview

This project is designing and assembling a high voltage generic wet-mate connector and stab-plate mechanism, which will be tested and demonstrated under both workshop and real-sea conditions.

Wet-mate connectors link offshore energy sources to the cables transmitting the electricity to shore. The availability of wet-mate connectors with a significantly higher rating of 11kV instead of the currently available 6.6kV would reduce the number of cables required. This project will directly address a major challenge that is constraining the development of the marine energy sector.

Although there is a clear industry need, funding from individual wave and tidal developers is not currently available at the required levels and existing deep-water connectors are too expensive for these applications.

For more information on the Wet-mate connector click here

Project Partners

• The University of Edinburgh
• The University of Exeter
• The University of Strathclyde Glasgow
• The Scottish Association for Marine Science
• HR Wallingford

Overview

An Industrial Doctorate Centre in renewable energy technologies, funded by the ETI and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), will take its first intake of students in January 2012.

The Centre will train up to 50 students in the research and skills needed to accelerate the development of renewable energy technologies. Each will spend part of their training with the three universities in the consortium.

The students will spend most of their training time in ETI Member companies, as part of the ETI’s major project delivery teams, as well as in other renewable industry organisations. The students will each gain an internationally-leading engineering doctorate.

The drive to meet the UK’s ambitious deployment targets for offshore renewable energy technologies requires a steady supply of highly trained engineers, scientists and leaders. We anticipate that this new Industrial Doctorate Centre will contribute significantly to that requirement.

If you wish to find out more, click here.
 

Project Partners

• Black and Veatch
• HR Wallingford
• The University of Edinburgh

Overview

This project will model the UK’s tidal energy resources to help improve understanding of the possible interactions between the various tidal energy extraction systems expected to be deployed between now and 2050.

It will develop models of the whole UK Continental Shelf that will be used to investigate how energy extraction at one site may affect the energy available elsewhere. A wide range of possible future tidal current and tidal range sites, with differing technology possibilities will be represented in the models.

The project will identify how the interactions between different sites around the UK combine to form overall flow effects, and what constraints these interactions will place on the design, development and location of future systems.

At the end of the project the models will be made available to the wider marine industry to help inform future plans and strategies through a service provided by HR Wallingford.

Project Partners

• Atlantis
• Black & Veatch
• Lockheed Martin

Overview

This project is taking a whole system and through life approach to identifying, developing and proving the best route to a commercially viable cost of energy from tidal stream technologies when deployed at an array scale.
It involves a broad range of the marine technology base and will identify supply chain solutions applicable to many devices.
 

Phase 1 of the project is being led by Atlantis Resources Corporation and project managed by Black & Veatch. The project is drawing on the systems integration and technology skills of Lockheed Martin, as well as many leading technology providers in the marine industry.

If Phase 1 is successful the project will move to a second phase during which the system and sub-system solutions will be developed towards commercial readiness and the system demonstrated in a realistic offshore environment.

To view ETI Marine Programme Manager Simon Cheeseman explaining the project click here