ITEG: Integrating Tidal energy into the European Grid


Project Summary

ITEG will develop and validate an integrated tidal energy and hydrogen production solution for clean energy generation to be demonstrated in Orkney. The project addresses energy related carbon emissions in North West Europe and will tackle grid export limitations faced in remote communities.

Led by the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney, the ITEG project brings together partners from across the UK, France, Belgium and the Netherlands and will adopt three low carbon technologies (tidal turbine, electrolyser and Energy Management System)

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. ITEG sets out to drive down these costs through the development of an integrated hydrogen production solution.

The integrated solution combines Orbital's next generation 2 MW floating tidal energy converter, the Orbital O2, with EMEC's 670 kW electrolyser and an onshore energy management system (EMS) at EMEC's onshore hydrogen production site on the Orkney island of Eday.

Initially due to complete in December 2022, ITEG received an approved project modification which will see the project run until September 2023.

In a context of global supply chain issues, the 0.5 MW hydrogen electrolyser  initially scoped for ITEG could not be delivered by partner Elogen within the timeframe of the project. Elogen remains an active partner within the consortium and, as such, will support the production of valuable documentation on topics including lessons learned during manufacture, technological advances and scalability of electrolysers.

The updated combined tidal and hydrogen solution will use power generated by the Orbital O2, which was deployed at the Fall of Warness in 2021, to demonstrate hydrogen production from tidal energy using EMEC’s 670kW electrolyser with a smart onshore energy management system (EMS).

A recent vanadium flow battery installation on EMEC’s site will also be incorporated into the demonstration ‘to smooth’ the tidal power output and optimise hydrogen production.

The EMS system will enable EMEC to control whether the tidal power generated is fed into the national grid, directly into the electrolyser to produce hydrogen or into the battery to be stored and used at a later date.  

Project objectives

  • Develop and validate an integrated tidal energy and hydrogen production solution for clean energy generation in remote areas
  • Open new market opportunities for the ocean energy sector through hydrogen production and energy storage
  • Optimise the EMS and fast-track a clean energy generation, management and storage solution towards commercialisation 
  • Build a roadmap to support the replication of the integrated solution in other remote, grid restricted areas

The following graphic shows how the three low carbon technologies will form an integrated hydrogen production solution;

Orbital O2 2MW tidal turbine animation 

ITEG Consortium in Oostende, October 2019 (Credit University of Ghent)

 

Hero image at top of web page: Orbital O2 Orkney arrival (Credit Orbital)

ITEG project leaflet download

Project Partners

Lead partner

Organisation Address Email Website
European Marine Energy Centre 1 Old Academy Business Center
Stromness
KW163AW
United Kingdom
matthew.finn@emec.org.uk www.emec.org.uk
Name Contact Name Email Country
Agence de Développement pour la Normandie Auriane Mathieu Auriane.Mathieu@adnormandie.fr France
Orbital Marine Power James Murray j.murray@orbitalmarine.com United Kingdom
Energy Valley Patrick Cnubben cnubben@energyvalley.nl Netherlands
Université de Caen Normandie Hamid Gualous hamid.gualous@unicaen.fr France
Université le Havre Normandie Brayima Dakyo brayima.dakyo@univ-lehavre.fr France
Ghent University Dominique Dhont dominique.dhont@ugent.be Belgium
Energy Systems Catapult Richard Halsey richard.halsey@es.catapult.org.uk United Kingdom
Elogen Ian Williamson ian.williamson@elogenh2.com France
Smart Hydrogen Consulting

News


Orbital O2 exports clean power at EMEC

Posted on

Orbital Marine Power’s O2, the world’s most powerful tidal turbine, has commenced grid connected power generation at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney. The innovative, floating turbine is anchored in the Fall of Warness where a subsea cable connects the 2MW offshore unit to the local onshore electricity network. Read More


Events


ITEG webinar | Sector coupling & scaling for widescale hydrogen roll out

, Virtual (Zoom)

Join us for the third webinar in the ITEG series where we will be discussing the need for sector coupling to enable large scale roll out of clean hydrogen and realise the benefits of a wide scale hydrogen ecosystem. This webinar will feature speakers from Elogen, Energy Systems Catapult, SSE and the Port of Rotterdam. ITEG (Integrating Tidal Energy into the European Grid) is funded by the Interreg North-West Europe programme. For more information on the project, please visit: www.nweurope.eu/ITEG
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LESSIN webinar: The Benefits of an Integrated Approach to Energy for Rural and Island Communities in Scotland

, Virtual

Local Energy Systems Scottish Industry Network (LESSIN) is a cluster-building initiative which brings together manufacturers, project developers, technology companies, innovation support organisations, knowledge communities, and investors to cultivate the low carbon ecosystem in Scotland, and beyond. LESSIN is led by Energy Systems Catapult in collaboration with the Energy Technology Partnership (ETP), and on behalf of Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. ​The project is part-funded by the 2014–2020 European Structural and Investment Fund. Supported by LESSIN’s new online collaboration platform, Energy Systems Catapult, Energy Technology Partnership and other innovation support organisations are working with Scottish industry to identify challenges and opportunities in delivering Local Energy Systems.
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ITEG Webinar Series: The Importance of Tidal Energy in a Clean Hydrogen Economy

, Online/Zoom

You are invited to join us for the first virtual event in the 4 part ITEG webinar series on 19 October 10:00 - 11:30 (BST). In this first webinar, we’ll discuss the important contribution that tidal energy can bring to achieving global carbon emission reduction targets. Speakers will discuss the latest tidal innovations under development and how integration with hydrogen production could open up new market opportunities for the ocean energy sector. The webinar will also share insight from the ITEG project: an integrated tidal energy and hydrogen production solution for clean energy generation to be demonstrated in Orkney.
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Wind Meets Gas: The North Sea Energy Issue and Connecting Hydrogen Valleys

, Groningen

Theme of the day: Hydrogen Valleys connected     The symposium experts will discuss the various regionally Hydrogen Valley initiatives that are developing through-out European Union and elsewhere. What do the various initiatives have in common and where do they differ? In addition, it will be discussed how duplication of effort and undue competition can be prevented and how instead synergies can be achieved by intensifying collaboration. Many representatives of Hydrogen Valleys and involved stakeholders will share their hands-on experiences, seek for modalities to align mutual interest and to create lasting cross-border alliances.
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International Conference on Hydrogen Safety (ICHS) 2021

, Virtual/Online

NTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON HYDROGEN SAFETY 2021 “Safe Hydrogen for Net Zero” The Scottish Government and IA HySafe invite you to take part in ICHS2021 which will be about “Safe Hydrogen for Net Zero”. The first eight ICHS biennial conferences from 2005 to 2019 attracted experts from all over the world, and provided an open platform for the presentation and discussion of new findings, information and data on hydrogen safety – from basic research to applied development and from good practice to standardisation and regulatory issues. This further reinforces Scotland as one of the leading locations for deployment of hydrogen and fuel cell solutions into developing low carbon energy systems. Highlights include the expanding hydrogen bus fleet in Aberdeen and along with many other innovative projects in locations such as Fife, the Western Isles, and the Orkney Islands. These projects are leading the way with a ‘learning by doing’ approach, and are willing to share best practice and experience. All contributions to ICHS2021 will be evaluated for their scientific content and relevance to the wider uptake and deployment of safe hydrogen as part of the transition to a low carbon energy system.
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Seanergy 2021

, Nantes, France

Seanergy, the international forum dedicated to Offshore Renewable Energy, gathers each year around 200 exhibitors and more than 3000 international actors of the sector (politics, ordering institutions (energy operators and industrials), technological experts, NGOs, researchers, investors, and subcontractors).
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World Hydrogen Technology Conference 2021

, Virtual

At WHTC 2021, local and international attendees have the opportunity to present their technical findings and advancements in hydrogen and fuel cells, as well as participate in f-cell+HFC, the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Event for marketing and networking. WHTC is hosted by the Canadian Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association (CHFCA), under the auspices of the International Association for Hydrogen Energy (IAHE). WHTC together with f-cell+HFC join two important worlds: innovative technologies and scientific research with international markets and business cases. The convention will see the leaders of the hydrogen sector of the clean energy transition creating, discussing and developing next steps, now that the Canadian Hydrogen Strategy and others worldwide have been announced. This year’s event takes place online – a first for WHTC – and offers three days of live scientific and market-oriented activities, including plenaries, seminars, technical sessions, poster and oral presentations, and an international Networking Hub.
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ETIP Ocean | Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda for Ocean Energy 2020

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