Until now, sustainable electricity generation in the Netherlands has primarily relied on solar panels and wind turbines.
Two Dutch companies have each received over €2 million to develop tidal energy projects in the Wadden Sea region.
Equinox The company will use the €2.4 million received to build a prototype turbine by 2025 and to further advance its efforts in renewable energy.
Peter de Haas, CEO of Equinox, said: “This is an important step toward making the marine energy sector a commercial reality.”
Equinox has pledged to revolutionize the energy sector by delivering a consistent and reliable power source.
Another company, Seaqurent, has been awarded €2.5 million to further develop seabed-based generators. Its multi-wing design enables the station to capture more energy than conventional tidal technologies, allowing for deployment in various global locations. The project will be launched southwest of Ameland.
Tidal currents in the sea are converted into electricity. For tidal energy to be profitable, however, the entire array must be installed on the seabed, similar to offshore wind farms.
European companies, including Equinox and Seaqurrent, currently account for 70% of the world’s ocean energy capacity.
The energy farms that these companies plan to build could help meet the EU’s goal of developing ocean energy farms capable of producing 100 megawatts by 2027, with potential to expand to 40 gigawatts by 2050.