Plans to deploy four tidal turbines as a connected array at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney have received the go-ahead from the European Commission, following a review of the project’s engineering, permits and financing.1
Edinburgh-based Orbital Marine Power announced on 12 October that the decision allows its EURO-TIDES project to progress towards construction, with deployment targeted for 2028, subject to completion of the company’s current investment round.
The installation will combine three next-generation O2-X turbines with an O2 turbine, demonstrating how multiple floating tidal generators can be connected and operated as a coordinated energy farm.
The project appears to mark an important step in Orbital’s efforts to move beyond individual turbine deployments towards larger-scale tidal energy generation. While the company’s existing O2 turbine has already demonstrated the technology’s ability to supply electricity to the UK grid, EURO-TIDES is intended to establish how multiple devices can operate reliably as an integrated installation.
According to Orbital, the completed array will generate enough electricity to meet the equivalent demand of approximately 9,200 homes, with each O2-X turbine capable of supplying around 2,400 households. The company estimates that the array’s total output will be equivalent to the electricity needs of approximately 85% of Orkney’s households.
The European Commission selected Orbital to lead the project in October 2023 under the Horizon Europe research and innovation programme.2 Its latest approval follows a formal assessment of the project’s technical readiness, permitting and financing arrangements.
Oliver Wragg, development director at Orbital Marine Power, described the decision as an important milestone in the commercial development of tidal energy.
“Having successfully proven the O2, we are now taking the next major step, demonstrating that our turbines can operate together as a connected array at commercial scale,” he said.
Beyond demonstrating coordinated turbine operation, EURO-TIDES aims to address some of the technical and financial barriers to wider tidal energy deployment. These include reducing generation costs, strengthening manufacturing and supply chains, and building confidence among investors and insurers.
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.
Although the Commission’s decision clears the project to enter its construction phase, deployment remains dependent on Orbital securing the necessary investment. The array is intended to contribute to the development of a wider European pipeline of tidal energy projects, which the consortium estimates could exceed 2GW.
Notes
[1] Orbital Marine Power, “Orbital Marine Power secures European Commission approval for landmark tidal energy array”, press release, 12 October 2026.
[2] Orbital Marine Power, “Tidal stream energy pioneer Orbital Marine Power to lead the delivery of flagship EU clean energy project”, October 2023.
