Marine Energy

Orbital Marine Power bags two further CfDs in the UK

Orbital Marine Power bags two further CfDs in the UK
(Image Credit: Orbital Marine Power)

Tidal power developer Orbital Marine Power has been awarded two Contracts for Difference (CfD) for 7.2 MW in the UK Allocation Round 5 process.

This builds on Orbital’s success in the previous year’s Allocation Round 4, where it secured contracts for 7.2 MW of capacity.  

The CfDs will allow Orbital to expand its development of projects in Orkney, Scotland, with the construction of six turbines now covered by the CfD scheme.

This outcome also means Orbital can make a significant investment in the UK supply chain as it sets about establishing series production of its innovative technology.

According to Orbital, the UK has significant capability and the expertise to create a supply chain that will now have a clearer route to accelerating industrialization and scale through volume production.

“This latest award creates more clarity for us and our supply chain about our immediate ambitions, allowing us to build on our progress to date,” said Andrew Scott, chief executive officer of Orbital Marine Power. “Securing these latest CfDs is another key step on a path that ends with clean predictable power being delivered to thousands of UK households and businesses, alongside building factories of the future and creating sustainable, green jobs at a ratio that hasn’t been achieved in the renewable space before.”

In March 2023, Hydro Review reported that Orbital Marine Power was awarded an option agreement from Crown Estate Scotland for a new tidal energy project in the Westray Firth, Scotland. The option agreement was for 30 MW, equivalent to about 12 Orbital devices installed across the site. The site is located adjacent to the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) facility in Orkney, where Orbital has already deployed the 2 MW O2 unit.

This article was originally published on sister site Power Engineering International.