Tocardo concludes 8-year demonstration of Eastern Scheldt tidal energy array

October 6, 2023, by Amir Garanovic

Tocardo, a joint venture of QED Naval and HydroWing, has completed the demonstration of 1.25MW five-turbine tidal energy array in the Netherlands after eight years of operation.

Tocardo’s Eastern Scheldt tidal energy array (Courtesy of Ocean Energy Europe/Photo by Simon Pugh)

As ‘the world’s longest operational tidal array’, the five Tocardo T-2 turbines have demonstrated reliability and performance, instilling confidence in the team and key industrial stakeholders and providing valuable insights for the development of the next-generation T-3 turbine series, according to Tocardo.

The project, installed and operated at the Dutch iconic Eastern Scheldt barrier, has come to the end of its lifecycle, and the assets from have been formally handed over to Rijkswaterstaat as part of the decommissioning process.

The Eastern Scheldt Tidal Project represented over 50% of EU’s operational tidal capacity today and contributed to over 30% of EU’s total tidal power generation before its finalization.

Leveraging the knowledge gained from the T-2 turbines operated at Eastern Scheldt barrier, Tocardo is now channeling its efforts and resources towards the development of the highly anticipated T-3 turbine series which integrates key blade and control innovations to provide 50% improvements in yields, the company said.

In that regards, Tocardo is shifting its short-term focus to the UK market as its two parent companies HydroWing and QED Naval secured the total of 14.5MW of turbine orders – or 15% of the total allocated capacity – through the latest UK government’s contracts for difference round.

Tocardo’s commitment to the UK market includes the development of the new T-3 turbines and the establishment of a robust supply chain to support the business going forward.

“We are proud of the progress we have achieved thus far and remain dedicated to our vision of providing sustainable and reliable tidal power generating solutions. These developments mark a pivotal moment in our journey towards a clean energy future, and we look forward to continued growth and innovation in the renewable energy sector,” said Richard Parkinson, the founder of HydroWing.

To remind, Tocardo was acquired by QED Naval and HydroWing back in 2020. The companies committed to invest in additional turbine development, bringing together over 50 years of combined experience in marine design, development and operations experience.