Funds flow in for eco energy inventor test

Aug 11 2010 by Chris Knox, The Journal

AN inventor who has discovered an ingenious way of harnessing tidal energy has received more than £600,000 of investment to test a device that is hoped to one day provide power for millions of homes.

Graeme Mackie, of Oceanflow Energy in North Shields, has received £560,000 funding from the Scottish Government and a £50,000 grant from One North East and an undisclosed sum from Norwegian investors.

The money will be used to stage the biggest trial of the technology in a 35kw device at a coastal community off the Mull of Kintyre in Scotland.

The investment follows successful trials of a 1kw unit, known as the Evopod, off the coast of Northern Ireland between 2008 and 2009, which was also supported by a grant from One North East. The devices generate green electricity from free flowing tidal streams and deep ocean currents and draw on technology used in the offshore oil and gas and marine and wind turbine industries by adopting a mooring system that allows the free-floating device to harness the power of tidal streams in deep sea areas.

Oceanflow is among only five companies to receive funding support from the Scottish Government’s WATERS programme – Wave and Tidal Energy Support, which will see energy from the Oceanflow 35 device connected directly to the local grid.

Mr Mackie’s eventual aim is to prove the technology to the point where 50 devices can be sited off the UK coast to produce enough power for between 2.5 million and four million homes in total. A farm of Evopods covering a seabed footprint of 1km square would also give an annual CO2 emissions saving of 114,000 tonnes.

Mr Mackie also said that his device will sidestep the big obstacle for marine renewables which is the cost of installation and maintaining devices rooted to the sea bed.

He said: “Not only does securing these grants and investment mean we will be able to take the demonstration of our technology further, it is also an important demonstration of the confidence that other people have in the device and in its potential to generate energy from tides – an energy source that is both predictable and sustainable.

“The timing of the One North East and WATERS funding support is perfect for Oceanflow as it coincides with private investment coming into the company, demonstrating the enthusiasm that the market has to get involved in renewable energy solutions that show real potential.”

Mr Mackie, a former naval architect, has led technology development’s in the areas of offshore oil and gas production and wave energy before focusing on floating tidal turbine technology.

Although the inventor is eager to set up a manufacturing base and create jobs in the North East, he does not expect the devices to be used along the North East coast as its waters are too shallow.

Mr Mackie said: “Being able to prove this technology on a larger scale is a significant milestone for Oceanflow and will being us closer to full commercialisation of the device, which should create jobs, with the possibility of dedicated manufacturing site here in the region.”