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Horizon 2020: EnFAIT Achieves 40% Reduction in Tidal Turbine Costs – Technology and Sustainability in Focus

Written by Paulo Nogueira
Published on 14/12/2023 at 09:24
Updated on 14/12/2023 at 09:25
redução de 40% nos custos das turbinas de marés
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European Project Led By Tidal Developer From Scotland Demonstrated Cost Reduction In Renewable Tidal Energy Generation With New Technology.

The EnFAIT (Enabling Future Arrays In Tidal) Horizon 2020 European project, led by one of Scotland’s leading tidal developers, achieved findings that have the potential to redefine the limits of what can be achieved by tidal energy worldwide. The project, which had an investment of US$ 22 million, brought together seven partners, including Scottish tidal developer Nova Innovation, responsible for the world’s first offshore tidal array – the Shetland Tidal Array and the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult (ORE), aiming to reduce the cost of tidal energy. The EnFAIT Horizon 2020 began in 2017 and brought cost reductions, innovation, and sector learnings over the last six years.

The EnFAIT Horizon 2020 project, led by one of Scotland’s leading tidal developers, aimed to reduce the cost of tidal energy, achieving a 40% reduction in tidal turbine costs. The project’s findings may significantly impact the sector, bringing benefits for both the development of renewable energies and the economy in general. This reduction in tidal turbine costs represents an important advancement for the tidal energy industry and its viability in the competitive energy market.

Horizon 2020 Project: New Tidal Turbine Technology

During the project, Nova Innovation installed three new direct-drive 100 kW turbines and an underwater hub next to the three existing turbines at the Shetland Tidal Array. For the first time, the wake effects between turbines in a real-world environment were analyzed to identify the optimal spacing between turbines in an array and the effect this has on energy generation. The data collected helped calibrate the computational modeling that will be invaluable for future tidal energy projects.

Cost Reduction And Tidal Development In The Horizon 2020 Project

Simon Forrest, CEO of Nova Innovation, added: ‘The EnFAIT has been an incredibly successful project. We reduced costs by 40%, doubled the size of the world’s first offshore tidal array, and extended the maintenance intervals for the turbines to two and a half years; all of these are remarkable achievements. These are crucial steps to build investor confidence and make tidal energy bankable.’

Tidal Energy Technology And New Turbines

The seven EnFAIT partners from across Europe were Nova Innovation, ORE Catapult, IDETA, RSK, SKF, Wood, and The University of Edinburgh.

The Innovative Tidal Turbine on land: the fourth to be deployed at the Shetland Tidal Array (credit: Nova Innovation).

Technology Abroad Renewable Energy Tidal Turbines

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Paulo Nogueira

Graduated in Electrical Engineering from one of the country's technical education institutions, the Instituto Federal Fluminense - IFF (formerly CEFET), he worked for several years in the offshore oil and gas, energy, and construction sectors. Today, with over 8,000 publications in online magazines and blogs on the energy sector, the focus is to provide real-time information on the Brazilian job market, macro and microeconomics, and entrepreneurship. For questions, suggestions, and corrections, please contact us at informe@clickpetroleoegas.com.br. Please note that we do not accept resumes at this contact.

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