CoTide consortium lands £7m for tidal stream R&D

Known as CoTide (Co-design to deliver Scalable Tidal Stream Energy), the project has 25 partners, including the universities of Oxford, Edinburgh and Strathclyde, as well as EDF Energy, the Health and Safety Executive, and Arkema International. It’s claimed this diverse mix of collaborators will bring a ‘spectrum of expertise’ in a multitude of relevant areas such as device hydrodynamics, composites, rotor materials, corrosion, risk and reliability, environmental modelling, and system control and optimisation.

“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 clean energy to help us meet our 2050 net zero goals,” said project lead Richard Willden, Professor of Engineering Science at the University of Oxford.

“This EPSRC investment in CoTide allows us to bring together world-class engineering expertise and drive forward the kind of creative, collaborative research that will ensure the UK remains a world-leader in tidal stream development and deployment.”

Tidal stream turbines are fixed directly out at sea to harness the strongest tidal flows. The technology is viewed by some as more viable than tidal lagoons or barrages, as it does not require the same level of built infrastructure. As such, tidal stream turbines should be cheaper to build and install, as well as have less environmental impact than other tidal technologies.

If deployed across the UK, it’s claimed that tidal stream has the potential to generate in excess of 6GW - enough to power over 5 million homes. And unlike wind and solar, tidal power is highly predictable, contributing baseload energy in a way that other renewables can struggle to.  

The global export market for tidal stream is also estimated at around £25bn and could potentially support thousands of marine energy jobs if the UK can take the lead on the technology. So far, the harsh marine environment and the corrosive nature of seawater have limited tidal power around the globe. Overcoming these challenges will be a key focus of the CoTide project.

“In order for tidal stream energy to become more competitive, we need real step changes in system performance, reliability metrics and scalability of the technology,” said Sue Barr, chair of the UK Marine Energy Council.

“This will require integrated tools which can be utilised by the sector to not only improve performance, but also increase confidence for investors and guarantors. The CoTide project’s collaborative and innovative scope provides a real opportunity for successful outcomes.”