FORESEA Moves Renewable Technologies Towards Commercialization

The Interreg Europe funded FORESEA program has awarded ‘recommendations for support’ to 15 offshore renewable energy technologies following its second call for applications. The awards will provide a real boost to technology developers by allowing them to test their technologies on the open sea, attract further investment, and move further along the path to commercialization.

FORESEA’s user selection board awarded a ‘Recommendation for Support” to demonstration projects led by the following technology developers to test at the indicated test center:

• Aqua Power Technologies (EMEC)
• ASVS (SEM REV)
• Current2Current (EMEC)
• Dresser-Rand (EMEC)
• Finima Innovations (EMEC)
• FishFlow Innovations (TTC)
• Flex Sense (SEM REV)
• FMGC (SEM REV)
• Oceanlinx (EMEC)
• Scotrenewables Tidal Power (EMEC)
• Sigma Energy (EMEC)
• Sustainable Marine Energy (EMEC)
• Swirl Generators (EMEC)
• Tocardo (TTC and EMEC)

Final confirmation of support will be granted to developers upon contract with the relevant test center.

Hans van Breugel, CEO of Tocardo, welcomed their award: “The FORESEA program enables Tocardo to improve the dynamic umbilical power cable for our Universal Foundation Structure (UFS), needed for power evacuation from the semi-sub UFS platform to the power cable on the seabed. Deployment of systems in real life conditions will increase the project developer’s confidence and reduce the cost of capital in projects. We have set our levelised cost of energy (LCoE) benchmark on offshore wind energy.”

Roelof Schuitema, Project Manager at the Tidal Testing Centre (TTC) indicated the importance of the announcement: “Today developers are being supported through the FORESEA program to access TTC for the first time, and this marks the beginning of an exciting new period for us. We will look forward to welcoming Tocardo and Fishflow Innovations to TTC soon.”

The announcement comes as the Seanergy 2017 Conference opens its doors in Le Harve, France. Further information on upcoming FORESEA activities and calls will be available at a networking event taking place at Seanergy at 12:00, Thursday 23 March at the Region Pays de la Loire Pavilion.