Result description
In the TiPA project, a consortium of European partners developed an innovative direct drive power take-off (PTO) subsystem for tidal turbines. The project ran from 2016 to 2019.
A prototype TiPA device successfully completed 12 weeks of performance testing at RWTH Aachen University, Germany, and over six months subsea testing in Rosyth, Scotland.
The TiPA product delivers significant advantages over alternative solutions currently on the market. Through increased efficiency and reliability compared to standard geared drive-trains, maintenance costs are cut by 45%, and the lifetime cost of tidal energy is slashed by 29%. This ground-breaking result takes the tidal energy sector a huge step closer to commercial reality.
The primary route to market for commercialising the technology is embedding the PTO in the tidal turbines of project coordinator, Nova Innovation. TiPA technology is incorporated in Nova’s M100D tidal turbine, a prototype of which was installed in 2020 at Nova’s grid-connected tidal energy array in Shetland, Scotland, under the H2020 EnFAIT project. The device has demonstrated outstanding performance, validating the TiPA project results.
Addressing target audiences and expressing needs
- Business partners – SMEs, Entrepreneurs, Large Corporations
- Expanding to more markets /finding new customers
- Business Angels
- Venture Capital
- Crowd-funding Equity
- Other type of Investment
Investors and partners to support our goal to use tidal energy to provide a new form of clean renewable energy, reduce emissions, and tackle climate change.
- EU and Member State Policy-makers
- Other Actors who can help us fulfil our market potential
- Private Investors
R&D, Technology and Innovation aspects
The TiPA technology was tested in a lab and a marine environment.
Following project completion, the technology has been incorporated into Nova Innovation’s next-generation tidal turbine. The Nova M100D has been demonstrated to TRL8 at Nova’s grid connected tidal energy site in Shetland.
An order for 15 turbines has been secured for a tidal array in Canada. Nova Innovation is pursuing additional sales opportunities in Europe, North America and Asia.
The next step on the technology development pathway will be to incorporate additional TiPA innovations into Nova Innovation’s future, upscaled turbine models, with the aim of exploiting economies of scale and further expanding the addressable market for tidal power.
Nova Innovation is investing in manufacturing capacity to scale up tidal turbine production. This will allow the company to meet growing demand driven by the climate emergency and increasing consumer demand for sustainable sources of energy.
One of the last untapped sources of renewable energy, tidal power will scale to become an alternative option for cost-effective, reliable and sustainable energy for coastal communities around the globe.
- Global
