Project

ITEG - Integrating Tidal energy into the European Grid

Acronym
ITEG
Code
41K06718
Duration
20 September 2017 → 31 December 2020
Funding
European funding: various
Research disciplines
  • Engineering and technology
    • Electrical energy production and distribution
    • Renewable power and energy systems engineering
    • Marine engineering not elsewehere classified
Keywords
tidal energy electrical power systems
 
Project description

This project will address energy-related carbon emissions in North-West Europe (NWE) through the development of an all-in-one solution that includes clean predictable energy generation (tidal energy), safe export to the grid and the storage and delivery of the excess capacity in hydrogen. Furthermore, ITEG will take horizontal axis tidal energy technologies (currently not yet commercially exploited in the marine environment). The cost of pre-commercial demonstration for Ocean Energy is high and investors are reluctant to invest until the technology has been proven in the sea at scale. This project will drive down these costs (which is the main factor limiting its uptake) through the development of an integrated solution. Construction of a 2MW horizontal axis tidal converter and deployment of an integrated hydrogen production solution are the main investments envisaged through the ITEG project. Following a thorough demonstration period business plans will be developed for the construction of one more turbine (expanding the farm nominal power to 4MW) to be deployed at the EMEC site. In addition to this the project partners will develop opportunities for commercial projects across the North-West Europe region and globally with a target of 3 to 5 new farms with a total of 100MW installed per year in a ten years time. These developments will lead to benefits in line with INTERREG Programme Specific Objective 3: jobs maintained (>1500 jobs), increased capacity of renewable energy production (plus 350GWh/year) and a reduction in GHG emissions (less 300,000 tons/year) which is vital to address global warming.

 
Role of Ghent University
Power-Link, as part of Ghent University, will contribute to the simulation, testing and optimization of the energy management system and to a social acceptance study for decentralised energy projects. They will also have a role in communication and dissemination by among which publishing articles and presenting at conferences.