Grant for Irish tidal energy company

Irish tidal renewable energy company OpenHydro has been awarded a grant of up to €2m under Sustainable Energy Ireland’s (SEI) Ocean Energy Prototype Research & Development Programme.

The company designs and manufactures marine turbines for generating renewable energy from tidal streams. It has a project portfolio spanning the USA, Canada, France and the Channel Islands with utility partners including EDF and Nova Scotia Power.

"The grant will help OpenHydro towards the design and development of its next generation 16m Open-Centre Turbine, Subsea Base and Installation Barge used in the deployment of OpenHydro’s technology," the company said in a statement.

"We are absolutely delighted to be awarded such a significant grant." said OpenHydro Chief Executive James Ives.

The grant was made available as part of the Government’s National Strategy for Ocean Energy aimed at developing a robust and successful ocean energy sector in Ireland.