The world’s most powerful tidal turbine

Overview

Following the success of their SR2000 full-scale prototype demonstration project, Orbital Marine Power recognised that several critical improvements were required to ensure the commercialisation of their technology. This drove the need to make significant structural configuration changes to their pioneering floating tidal turbine technology.

Solving the challenge delivered a strikingly bold piece of technology innovation, the O2, a floating tidal turbine that caters for quick and low-cost access to all major components and systems throughout the entire turbine. This is enabled by hinged wing structures which are attached on their in-board end to the main buoyancy hull and mounted on their out-board end to the power generating nacelles and rotors.

This structural architecture and motion is conceptual and applicable at any scale and for multiple applications. In 2021 Orbital was successfully awarded a patent covering this breakthrough innovation – an asset that has the ability to unlock and control a globally significant opportunity.

In an eye-catching, daring project, Orbital delivered a working example of its innovative engineering in the 2MW O2 floating tidal turbine, which is now generating clean, predictable power onto the UK electricity and represents the world’s most powerful and advanced tidal energy turbine built to date.