European Commission Approves Construction for Orbital Marine Power Tidal Array

Orbital Marine Power, developer and operator of the world’s most powerful tidal turbine, has announced that the European Commission has given the Go Decision for EURO-TIDES, clearing the landmark project to move into construction. The tidal energy array will be deployed at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney, Scotland.

The Go Decision marks a milestone for a project first announced in October 2023, when the European Commission selected Orbital to lead delivery of the array under Horizon Europe funding. Having successfully passed a formal review of its engineering, permits and financing, EURO-TIDES has now been approved to move into construction, with Orbital targeting deployment in 2028, subject to completion of its current investment round.

The array will be made up of four turbines – three of Orbital’s next-generation O2-X turbines and one O2, the company’s turbine already generating power for the UK grid – built and connected to operate as a single coordinated tidal energy farm. It will be the first time Orbital turbines have been deployed and operated together as a connected array, representing an important milestone in the company’s journey towards commercial-scale tidal energy deployment.

Once operational, the array is expected to generate enough clean, predictable power for around 9,200 homes, with each O2-X capable of supplying approximately 2,400 homes. Together, the array will generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of around 85% of households in Orkney.

The European Commission has identified the transition from individual tidal turbines to connected, multi-turbine arrays as one of the defining milestones in the commercial development of the sector. While tidal energy has already demonstrated its technical viability through successful single-device deployments, EURO-TIDES will help prove that multiple turbines can be built, connected and operated together reliably and at scale. By demonstrating the next stage of industrial deployment, the project is expected to strengthen confidence across investors, insurers, policymakers and the wider supply chain, helping accelerate tidal energy’s route to commercial maturity.

EURO-TIDES is being delivered in partnership with CWD (Center for Wind Power Drives, RWTH Aachen), EMEC, Énergie de la Lune, ENGIE Laborelec, MaraSoft, Ocean Energy Europe, the University of Edinburgh, and Orbital Marine Power. 

The project aims to demonstrate the reliable deployment and operation of connected tidal turbine arrays at commercial scale, helping reduce the cost of tidal energy, strengthen manufacturing capability and supply chains, build confidence among investors and insurers, and support a future European pipeline of more than 2GW of tidal energy projects.