There is a “huge opportunity” to harness the tides and help the UK meet its 2050 net-zero goals.

The powerful tides that surround the UK remain underutilised but have huge potential as a source of greener power that could make a significant contribution to this goal. Unlike the wind and the sun, tides ebb and flow at predictable times every day and so have the advantage that they can provide power that is both renewable and reliable.

Researchers working to cut carbon emissions and boost energy security using tidal stream power are now set to benefit from a £7m Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) investment.

The project will be led by the University of Oxford’s Professor of Engineering Science, Richard Willden, who said: “We have a huge opportunity as a country to harness the powerful tides that surround us and use innovative engineering to develop greater energy security and clean energy to help us meet our 2050 net-zero goals.”

The CoTide researchers will work to ensure that the UK can take full advantage of this resource by developing state-of-the-art tidal stream turbine systems. Tidal stream turbines have advantages over more traditional tidal barrages and tidal lagoons that require turbines to be installed in structures such as dams or sea walls as tidal stream turbines are fixed directly out at sea in the line of the strongest, most suitable tidal flows. They are therefore cheaper to build and install, and crucially have less of an environmental impact.

If fully developed nationally these systems have the potential to generate in excess of 6GW, with an export market worth £25bn.

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