Project description
Making waves to light up Europe’s islands
Island living may call to mind a tranquil, natural and eco-friendly way of life but life on an island comes at a very high price. Island energy is expensive, polluting, inefficient and dependent on external supplies with significant negative impacts on emissions and the economy. Such is the case with Europe’s 2 400 islands – home to some 15 million Europeans. The EU-funded DGIM2 project will install the first two tidal and ocean current energy converters for off-grid applications. They will be installed on Faroe Islands. The technology is based on the use of underwater kites that glide smoothly through the water for the production of clean energy.
Objective
15 million Europeans live on Europe’s 2,400 inhabited islands, at an average of approximately 1,500 households per island.
As recognised by the European Commission, island energy is expensive, polluting, inefficient and dependent on external
supply, with significant negative impacts on emissions, the competitiveness of businesses, and the economy. Existing
renewable alternatives are often unsuitable for these communities, such as wind and solar power, as the energy they
generate is unpredictable and intermittent, making it difficult to rely on. Tidal energy is also often unsuitable, as it requires
fast tidal flows (over 2.5m/s) which only occur in a few specific hot spots around the World.
Solution: Deep Green Island Mode
The Deep Green Island Mode (DGIM) is a stand-alone tidal and ocean current energy converter for off- grid applications.
DGIM is based on the concept of flying an underwater kite, that when steered in an 8-shaped trajectory, generates a speed
of 8-10 times the speed of the actual current.
- Generates cost effective electricity in tidal flows as low as 1.2 m/s
- Generates up to 100kW, producing an estimated 0,35 GWh/year, enough to power 100 homes
- Can be located close to the shore
- Up to 15 times lighter per kW compared to other tidal energy solutions
- Easy, low cost installation and maintenance (low CapEx and OpEx)
- Cost of energy 60% lower than diesel generators
DG Island Mode offers cheap, clean, reliable electricity generation to island communities.
Recently we have completed our phase 1 feasibility study which has quantified the significant, global market for DGIM.
The aim of the DGIM2 project is to install the first two commercially viable DGIMs in a production and customer environment
on the Faroe Islands. Successful demonstration of DGIM will act as a first step to developing commercial ties with utilities
across Europe, both for DGIM and as a catalyst for the market up take of the “utility scale” Deep Green.
Fields of science
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectrical engineeringpower engineeringelectric power generation
- natural scienceschemical sciencescatalysis
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuelsrenewable energyhydroelectricitymarine energytidal energy
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
SME-2 - SME instrument phase 2Coordinator
426 71 VASTRA FROLUNDA
Sweden
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.