What is SEASTAR?

The Sustainable European Advanced Subsea Tidal Array (SEASTAR) project will deliver a 4 MW tidal farm of 16 tidal stream turbines – the largest number of turbines deployed in a single location globally.

Building on the success of Nova’s previous 6-turbine array in Shetland, SEASTAR will utilise Nova’s well-proven M100D turbine to deliver the large-scale 16-turbine array at the EMEC Fall of Warness tidal site in Orkney. Jointly funded by the EU Horizon Europe programme and the UKRI, the SEASTAR project will run from December 2023 to February 2029.

The mission and vision:
Why is SEASTAR needed?

The global transition to net zero carbon requires the complete decarbonisation of energy supply. Tidal power is a major untapped source of renewable energy (RE), and offers 40 GW of predictable, zero-carbon power to enhance European energy security and resilience. SEASTAR will address the following challenges in order to accelerate the large-scale commercialisation of tidal power:

  • Technological, by demonstrating for the first time the industrial systems, manufacturing and operational techniques required to efficiently deliver a large tidal farm;

  • Environmental, by generating and sharing transferable knowledge on key consenting risks, de- risking future large arrays globally; and

  • Commercial, focusing on increasing large array insurability and bankability, and cutting costs to accelerate the sustainable commercialisation and scaling of tidal power.

To demonstrate a sustainable large-scale tidal energy farm, the 16-turbine tidal energy farm will:

  • Demonstrate for the first time a large-scale tidal farm from manufacturing to deployment and operation.

  • Demonstrate increased insurability and bankability

  • Reduce the levelised cost of energy* by 33%

  • Mitigate environmental risks associated with future large-scale tidal farms globally

  • Share significant operation results and transferable knowledge

What does SEASTAR bring to the tidal energy sector?

The SEASTAR project will benefit the entire tidal energy sector globally by:

  • Showcasing industrial scale manufacturing, operational and maintenance techniques: from design, production, shipping, deployment to operation.

  • Addressing critical environmental evidence gaps and developing cost-effective, reliable, monitoring solutions to accelerate permitting and remove barriers for future large tidal farms.

  • Reinforcing the collaborative partnership between the UK and EU, creating high-quality green jobs.

  • Enhancing Europe’s position as a global frontrunner in the marine energy supply chain.

Project impacts

Commercial impacts:

  • Cost reduction in LCOE for tidal power comes from three sources: economies of volume, increased array yield, and reduced cost of capital.

  • Increased bankability of tidal power.

  • De-risk future large tidal farms by generating transferable learning on environmental impacts and developing environmental best practice.

  • Boost European export potential & collaboration: UK-EU collaboration with 100GW global potential.

Technological impacts:

  • Demonstrate for the first time volume manufacturing, deployment & operation of a large tidal farm.

  • Demonstrate high technology reliability and availability.

  • The increased confidence in cost-effective delivery of tidal energy.

  • Technological advances include tidal farm cabling design, array-scale device control, and array-scale deployment, operation and maintenance techniques.

  • Improving operational efficiency, proving long-term, high device reliability and availability, and decreasing costs will accelerate the development of the tidal energy sector, enabling technology developers to reach commercial maturity and bring their products to market.

  • Better integration of sustainable RE-based solutions, including through digital technologies.

Enhanced innovation capacity:

  • Develop and validate novel industrial processes and systems and array cabling solutions that will advance the state-of-the-art for the whole ocean energy sector.

Scientific impacts:

  • New knowledge on the environmental effects of tidal arrays at scale will be shared with EMODNET and the IEA OES Environmental task.

  • Maximising impact through engagement with the ERSG, which will include the key regulators consenting tidal power projects around the world.

Societal and environmental impacts:

  • Developing a new manufacturing sector, contributing to European energy and technology security and the Blue Economy.

  • Benefiting the European and global consumers from the development of a new, entirely predictable, diversified renewable energy source.

  • Reduced carbon emissions in Europe

  • Strengthen European energy and technology security, while accelerating the green transition

  • Fostering European global leadership in affordable, secure and sustainable Renewable Energy (RE) technologies, improving their competitiveness in growth markets, and through the diversification of the RE technology portfolio.