Two new electricity-generating tidal farm projects in France have been awarded $55 million in funding to add around 29 megawatts of sustainable power to the local grid.
This funding, granted by the European Union, is just part of 85 net-zero projects across 18 countries to receive financial support totaling $5.19 billion from the coalition's Innovation Fund, according to a report by Interesting Engineering.
HydroQuest is set to build its 17.5-megawatt FloWatt tidal farm off the coast of Raz-Blanchard, Normandy, France. This project will consist of six HQ 2.5 hydro turbines capable of powering around 20,000 homes and is expected to come online in 2026.
The second location, called NH1, will be run by Normandie Hydroliennes and includes four three-megawatt Proteus AR3000 turbines, the most powerful to date. The project is expected to launch by 2028 and generate 33.9 gigawatt hours of electricity annually, enough to support 15,000 inhabitants.
The European Union has signaled its willingness to cut planet-warming pollution and focus on sustainable energy initiatives with a series of 2030 mandates.
In 2023, the EU adopted policies for climate, energy, transportation, and taxation in an effort to reduce pollution by at least 55% by 2030 and keep pace toward its net-zero 2050 commitments. These Innovation Fund recipients will help it achieve those goals.
Tidal power, as the IE report detailed, can be an important tool in France's transition to sustainable power generation, helping to offset the intermittent nature of both solar and wind. Since the tides are driven by the Moon's gravitational forces, they're an entirely predictable source of renewable electricity.
According to the report, Ocean Energy Europe calculated that there's an energy reserve of five gigawatts in the movement of the tides off the coast of France, just waiting to be harnessed.
It also estimates that there are around 800-1,200 terawatt hours (or one trillion watt hours) of reliable tidal energy potential around the globe to support decarbonization plans.
The production costs of tidal power are expected to match those of floating wind power in the region by 2030, per the report. Plus, these tidal turbines have minimal impact on marine ecosystems, operating quietly out of sight below the water.
"These two awards are another proof that tidal has reached technological maturity and is on its way to commercialization. These two farms will be the largest in the world by the time they hit the water," said Rémi Gruet, CEO of Ocean Energy Europe, in a press release.
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