The Go Decision marks a major milestone for a project first announced in October 2023, when the European Commission selected Orbital to lead delivery of the array under Horizon Europe funding. Having successfully passed a formal review of its engineering, permits and financing, EURO-TIDES has now been approved to move into construction, with Orbital targeting deployment in 2028, subject to completion of its current investment round.
The array will be made up of four turbines—three of Orbital’s next-generation O2-X turbines and one O2, the company’s proven turbine already generating power for the UK grid—built and connected to operate as a single coordinated tidal energy farm. It will be the first time Orbital turbines have been deployed and operated together as a connected array, representing an important milestone in the company’s journey towards commercial-scale tidal energy deployment.
Once operational, the array is expected to generate enough clean, predictable power for around 9,200 homes, with each O2-X capable of supplying approximately 2,400 homes. Together, the array will generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of around 85% of households in Orkney.
The European Commission has identified the transition from individual tidal turbines to connected, multi-turbine arrays as one of the defining milestones in the commercial development of the sector. While tidal energy has already demonstrated its technical viability through successful single-device deployments, EURO-TIDES will help prove that multiple turbines can be built, connected and operated together reliably and at scale. By demonstrating the next stage of industrial deployment, the project is expected to strengthen confidence across investors, insurers, policymakers and the wider supply chain, helping accelerate tidal energy’s route to commercial maturity.
Oliver Wragg, Development Director of Orbital Marine Power, said: “The European Commission’s Go Decision for EURO-TIDES is a powerful vote of confidence in both Orbital’s technology and tidal energy’s readiness to move into its next phase of commercial development. 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. This is a landmark moment for Orbital and an important milestone for the wider tidal energy industry as Europe moves from proving individual devices to deploying multi-turbine tidal farms. This is exactly the kind of strategic public investment that transforms pioneering technology into industrial capability, and we’re proud to be leading that work from Orkney.”
Rémi Gruet, CEO of Ocean Energy Europe, said: “The European Commission’s Go Decision for EURO-TIDES is much more than a project milestone—it is an important step towards the commercialization of tidal energy in Europe. It confirms that the sector is moving beyond demonstration and into industrial deployment, bringing commercial tidal arrays closer to reality.
This achievement shows how European public investment is turning innovation into industrial reality. Tidal energy is ready to contribute to the objectives of the European Green Deal and Europe’s climate neutrality ambitions by delivering predictable, home-grown renewable power that strengthens energy security and complements wind and solar.
The next challenge is clear: turning successful flagship projects like EURO-TIDES into a pipeline of commercial deployments across Europe. With the right market framework and continued policy support, Europe can remain the global leader in tidal energy, delivering economic growth, industrial leadership and clean, secure energy for Europeans.”
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.
The project aims to demonstrate the reliable deployment and operation of connected tidal turbine arrays at commercial scale, helping reduce the cost of tidal energy, strengthen manufacturing capability and supply chains, build confidence among investors and insurers, and support a future European pipeline of more than 2 GW of tidal energy projects.
