Orbital Westray
Predictable clean energy from the tides
About the project
Tidal stream energy is an as-yet untapped form of predictable, clean power.
Orbital Marine Power has a vision to deliver a pioneering tidal energy project in the Westray Firth, Orkney, as part of our mission to help decarbonise communities in a sustainable and just way.
3,000+
Homes powered per turbine
3+ m/s
Peak spring tide speed
Project Update
Westray Tidal Array is a proposal to install and operate up to 70 ‘O2’ style tidal turbines with a total generating capacity of approximately 170 MW. The project would have a lifetime of around 25 years.
The proposal is in the part of the Westray Firth between Eday and Rousay. It also includes moorings, anchors, inter-array cables and electrical export cables that would make landfall at the EMEC Fall of Warness tidal demonstration site on Eday.
About Orbital Marine Power
Orbital Marine Power (Orbital) is a visionary, renewable energy company focused on the development and global application of its pioneering floating turbine technology.
Headquartered in Orkney since 2002, the Orbital team is committed to using homegrown capabilities to build a new industry here in the UK for the future.
Tidal Stream Energy Global Resource
Delivering the global Net Zero mission will rely on decarbonising energy. With water being 800x the density of air, tidal presents an exceptionally dense form of kinetic renewable energy.
Night and day the tides ebb and flood, 365 days a year, offering a reliable, predictable form of clean electricity – increasingly important as power networks shift reliance from fossil fuels to more intermittent sources.
Location
The Orbital Westray Project is located in the Westray Firth, Orkney, between the islands of Egilsay and Eday. It is just to the north-west of the European Marine Energy Centre, Fall of Warness tidal test centre with similar characteristics and as such is an excellent location for the next stage in the development of this locally grown industry.
Latest Updates
