With the support from the FORESEA Programme SeaQurrent was able to advance the handling (systems) of its TidalKite™ technology.

SeaQurrent concluded testing of the handling systems

SeaQurrent develops the TidalKite technology for the production of sustainable energy from relatively slow tidal currents (up to 2.5 m/s) in relatively shallow areas (from a depth of 10 meters).

As an important part of technology development, SeaQurrent conducted series of tests with a scale model of the TidalKite. In de Waddenzee, North of the Afsluitdijk, near Kornwerderzand. These tests were performed from a barge, which was anchored in a marked-out area, next to a shipping lane in a shallow tidal stream channel.

The FORESEA project was part of the tests, it entailed the improvement and testing of handling (systems) of the TidalKite™ Power Plant system.

Youri Wentzel, CEO of SeaQurrent “We develop a brand-new technology. And getting things right at once is always more of a challenge if you are working on something that’s a first of a kind. The FORESEA Programme enabled us to evaluate, develop and test our handling systems in a Marine environment. We encountered difficulties, saw room for improvement and ultimately got the handling of our TidalKite system right. This is great news and we believe it will prove to be critical to our future success and the deployment of TidalKite Power Plants! And we also like to thank DMEC for the way they were able to tailor the support package to our needs.”

—- From the initial press release, more information on the FORESEA Programme—-

08 November. Brussels. The FORESEA (Funding Ocean Renewable Energy through Strategic European Action) Programme has awarded a ‘Recommendation for Support’ to ten ocean energy technology developers. The support will help commercialise these technologies by providing free access to open-sea test centres. The announcement was made at the Ocean Energy Europe 2016 Conference & Exhibition in Brussels today.

FORESEA is an €11m project which helps to bring offshore renewable energy technologies to market by providing free access through tailored support packages to a world-leading network of test centres: EMEC (UK), SEM-REV (France), SmartBay (Ireland) and Stichting Tidal Testing Centre (Netherlands). Access is awarded through a series of competitive calls for application. It is financed by Interreg Europe.

The first FORESEA call for applications closed on 21 September. Applications were assessed by FORESEA’s User Selection Board, who have awarded a ‘Recommendation for Support’ to ten technology developers. Final confirmation of support will be granted to developers upon contract with the relevant test centre.

Awards were granted to the following companies:

To mark the awards, the FORESEA programme will host a Drinks Reception at 17:30 today at the Ocean Energy Europe 2016 Conference & Exhibition, with addresses from Neil Kermode, Managing Director, EMEC and Maud Skäringer, European Commission.

“This FORESEA award is an important part of the financial package which will help us to fully capitalise on our installation at EMEC, leverage further investment, and progress towards the marketplace, said Patrik Moller, CEO of CorPower Ocean – a wave energy technology developer and recipient of a FORESEA award.

“We are very proud to obtain this FORESEA award. It will help us finance sea trials on the SEM-REV site and then to reach sea-proven status with a new power range for our technology. Being selected as a promising technology is also a very positive sign for our future investors,“ said Jean-Luc Longeroche, chairman & CEO of Geps Techno – a wave energy powered autonomous platform developer and recipient of a FORESEA award.

“The Pays de la Loire region is among the European leading territories for testing facilities dedicated to marine renewable energies. The Region is supporting the sector by funding leading-edge test infrastructures such as the SEM-REV,” said Bruno Retailleau, President of the French region Pays de la Loire and President of the Atlantic Arc Commission of CPMR.

“The European Union should foster these bottom-up developments by supporting R&I projects and facilitating commercialisation. Tests in open-sea conditions are a critical stage in validating a technology but they require significant levels of investment. The FORESEA project addresses in a very concrete manner this challenge. Thanks to FORESEA, two new ocean energy technologies should be tested in Pays de la Loire,” concluded Mr Retailleau.

“The FORESEA programme’s first call has been very successful with many high calibre applications received and we are delighted to recommend ten technologies for support packages. The level of interest we’ve had from technology developers in the programme has been very encouraging, and shows how vibrant the sector is becoming. We look forward to welcoming some of the applicants to EMEC in the near future,” commented Nic Wallet, FORESEA Manager, EMEC.

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About SeaQurrent

SeaQurrent is a start-up created to make electricity generated from tidal currents affordable and internationally accessible. To achieve this, the company develops an innovative system using an underwater kite that is ecologically friendly, the SeaQurrent TidalKite Power Plant.

Note for the editor (not for publication)

For more information about this press release please contact:

Maurits Alberda

Phone: +31634861424

E: maurits.alberda@seaqurrent.com