Horizon Europe backs FOREST project to advance ocean energy system technologies

The FOREST (Future Ocean Renewable Energy System Technologies) project has launched with support from the European Commission under the Horizon Europe Programme.

With a budget of €4 million, the project brings together eight partners from the UK, Portugal, Spain and Sweden to drive advancements in subsea components and digital technologies that will set new global standards for durability, reliability and efficiency in ocean energy systems.

Coordinated by the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) based in Orkney, Scotland, the three-year project aims to enhance the performance of ocean energy arrays, reduce the levelised cost of energy (LCOE), foster sustainability of ocean energy systems, and accelerate market readiness. FOREST will also generate and share knowledge on how to operate ocean energy farms, improving their availability, maintainability, reliability, survivability and sustainability.

Matthew Finn, Managing Director, EMEC said:

“The FOREST project marks a major step forward for ocean energy, bringing together leading expertise from across Europe to tackle some of the sector’s most persistent challenges. By developing and testing next-generation subsea technologies here in Orkney, we’re advancing the reliability and efficiency of the ancillary systems crucial for ocean energy array deployments and helping to drive down costs. This collaboration demonstrates the power of innovation and partnership in accelerating the transition to clean, sustainable energy.”

The project will deliver three major innovations:

• 33 kV super dynamic cables and connection hub for ocean energy arrays, designed by SubConnected;
• A subsea cable quick connector system to streamline deployment and maintenance, developed by Apollo; and
• A cutting-edge optical measurement platform by Indeximate incorporating artificial intelligence and machine learning from CENER and Intelligent Plant to measure cable and device health and optimise array performance.

These innovations will be rigorously tested at EMEC’s world-renowned wave and tidal test sites in Orkney, Scotland, working in collaboration with wave and tidal energy developer companies. Bureau Veritas will ensure compliance with the highest international certification standards.

Scotland’s Energy Secretary, Gillian Martin, said:

“This project and its investment in advancing cutting-edge subsea technologies will help to catalyse the advancement of the renewable marine energy sector. A sector where Scotland has led the way through the development and deployment of a number of groundbreaking marine energy devices.

“It is particularly heartening to see that this project is coordinated by Scotland’s European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney, supported by Horizon Europe. This international collaboration highlights the importance of sharing expertise and innovation to accelerate market readiness in order to realise the potential of marine energy in supporting our transition to net zero.”

FOREST directly supports the EU Strategy on Offshore Renewable Energy and the Strategic Energy Technology (SET) Plan, contributing to the EU’s 1 GW ocean energy target. By advancing new technologies and improving system reliability, the project will enhance investor confidence, reduce costs and accelerate the global deployment of ocean energy farms.

The consortium includes: EMEC (Coordinator), Indeximate, Intelligent Plant, Bureau Veritas and Apollo (UK); WavEC Offshore Renewables (Portugal); CENER – National Renewable Energy Centre (Spain); SubConnected (Sweden).

Disclaimer: The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CINEA.