Orbital Marine Power
Scottish renewable-energy company developing floating tidal-stream turbines.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Orbital Marine Power is a Scottish renewable-energy technology company focused on floating tidal-stream turbines. The business was founded in Orkney in 2002 as Scotrenewables Tidal Power by Barry Johnston, who grew up in the islands and identified the region's strong tidal currents as a potential source of predictable renewable electricity. The company later adopted the Orbital Marine Power name in 2019. Orbital's core technology uses a buoyant floating platform moored in a tidal channel, with underwater rotors suspended from either side of the hull. Unlike fixed-bottom tidal turbines, the platform can be towed to and from a deployment site, reducing the need for complex seabed foundations and allowing major maintenance work to be carried out at shore-based facilities. The design is intended to simplify installation, servicing and eventual decommissioning while making the technology suitable for sites with strong tidal flows. The company's development programme has included three principal turbine generations: the 250 kW SR250, the 2 MW SR2000 and the commercial O2 turbine. The SR250 became the first floating tidal turbine to connect successfully to the electricity grid. The larger SR2000, launched in 2016, demonstrated extended operation and generated more than 3 GWh during its initial continuous test programme. It was also described at launch as the world's most powerful tidal-stream turbine. Orbital's first commercial machine, the O2, was launched in 2021 and connected to the grid at the European Marine Energy Centre's Fall of Warness test site off Eday in Orkney. The 74 m-class platform uses two 1 MW generators and twin rotors with a combined swept area of more than 600 square metres. Its electricity is exported through subsea and onshore cables, and the project has also been used to supply an electrolyser for a demonstration of tidal-powered green hydrogen production. The turbine was designed to provide predictable clean electricity equivalent to the annual demand of approximately 2,000 UK homes, subject to site conditions and operating performance. Orbital is developing the 2.4 MW O2-X as its next-generation platform. The design is intended for serial production and deployment in arrays, with certification work being undertaken with Lloyd's Register against the relevant International Electrotechnical Commission marine-energy standard. In the United Kingdom, the company has secured Contracts for Difference awards supporting a six-turbine, 12 MW pipeline for Eday in Orkney, with commissioning planned across the 2026/27 and 2027/28 delivery years. It has also pursued a potential 30 MW array in the Westray Firth and is leading the EURO-TIDES project to develop a larger tidal farm concept. Orbital has expanded its commercial and demonstration ambitions beyond Scotland. In Canada, it has announced plans with Eauclaire Tidal to deploy O2-X technology at the Fundy Ocean Research Center for Energy in Nova Scotia, supported by power-purchase arrangements and staged regulatory approval. In the United States, the company has participated in projects involving tidal-energy assessment in Washington State and has received support through the U.S. Department of Energy's TEAMER programme for work on site identification and environmental compliance for floating ocean-current turbines. The company's positioning is therefore based on predictable marine power, modular floating infrastructure and the prospect of reducing the cost and logistical burden of tidal-energy deployment.
History
Orbital Marine Power began in Orkney in 2002 under the name Scotrenewables Tidal Power. Founder Barry Johnston's local knowledge of the islands and their powerful tidal flows informed the company's focus on floating tidal-stream generation. Its engineering approach was designed to avoid some of the installation and maintenance difficulties associated with fixed seabed turbines. A floating platform can be towed into a tidal channel, held in place by moorings and later returned to shore for servicing. The first major demonstrator was the SR250. Built by Harland & Wolff in Belfast, it was launched in 2011 and taken to the European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney. The 250 kW machine used twin contra-rotating rotors mounted on retractable rotor legs. After tow testing, it became the first floating tidal turbine to connect to the electricity grid in 2012. Scotrenewables subsequently developed the SR2000 with support from the Scottish Government's WATERS programme. The project had a reported total cost of £9.24 million and received a £1.24 million grant. The 2 MW device was launched in May 2016 and began exporting electricity later that year. Its 63 m hull carried twin 16 m rotors. During its first year-long continuous test programme, it generated more than 3 GWh. Testing continued until 2018, after which the machine was towed to Blyth for decommissioning. In 2019, the company rebranded as Orbital Marine Power and conducted a crowdfunding campaign that raised £7 million toward construction of its first commercial turbine. The resulting O2 was built in Scotland, with fabrication and component work distributed among suppliers including Texo Group, Grey Fabrication and A C Marine & Composites. It was launched into the Tay Estuary in April 2021, towed to Orkney and grid-connected at the Fall of Warness site in July 2021. The O2 has a roughly 72–74 m hull, twin 20 m rotors and two 1 MW generators. Its blades can pitch through a full 360 degrees, allowing the turbine to capture energy from reversing tidal flows without rotating the entire platform. The turbine's four-point mooring arrangement and shallow towing draft support the company's maintenance and logistics proposition. In addition to supplying electricity, the project has been linked to an electrolyser demonstration at the European Marine Energy Centre, showing how predictable tidal power could contribute to green-hydrogen production. Orbital's next development is the O2-X, a 2.4 MW platform intended to support repeatable commercial deployment. The company has worked with Lloyd's Register on certification against IEC technical requirements for tidal-energy systems. The O2-X is central to the company's Orkney pipeline, where Contracts for Difference awards announced in 2022 and 2023 support six turbines with combined planned capacity of 12 MW. Manufacturing preparations have involved Global Energy Group and the Port of Nigg. The company has also pursued larger arrays. It has secured an option and grid connection for a potential 30 MW project in the Westray Firth and announced the EURO-TIDES project, which is intended to develop a 9.6 MW tidal farm. Internationally, Orbital has worked on a proposed O2-X deployment at the Fundy Ocean Research Center for Energy in Nova Scotia with Eauclaire Tidal. In the United States, it has been named a technology partner for a proposed Rosario Strait project in Washington State and has participated in federally supported work on environmental assessment and site identification. These activities reflect a transition from single-device demonstration toward multi-turbine tidal arrays, while the company continues to depend on certification, consenting, grid access and the economics of emerging marine-energy markets.
- 2025
O2-X receives initial certification statement
[1]Lloyd's Register issued an IECRE feasibility statement for the O2-X design, supporting the next stage toward formal certification and serial production.
- 2023
Further Orkney awards and EURO-TIDES
[1]A further 7.2 MW was awarded through the UK scheme, and Orbital announced its leadership of the 9.6 MW EURO-TIDES project.
- 2022
First Orkney Contracts for Difference awards
[1]Orbital secured 7.2 MW of UK Contracts for Difference capacity for future Orkney deployment.
- 2021
O2 launched and grid-connected
[1]The O2 was launched in Scotland and began exporting electricity from the Fall of Warness site in Orkney.
- 2019
Rebrand and O2 crowdfunding
[1]Scotrenewables Tidal Power adopted the Orbital Marine Power name and raised funds toward its first commercial turbine.
- 2016
SR2000 launched
[1]Orbital's predecessor company launched the 2 MW SR2000, then the most powerful tidal-stream turbine.
- 2012
First floating turbine grid connection
[1]The 250 kW SR250 became the first floating tidal turbine to connect successfully to the electricity grid.
- 2011
SR250 launched
[1]The first SR250 prototype was launched after construction by Harland & Wolff and transported to Orkney for testing.
- 2002
Company founded in Orkney
[1]Scotrenewables Tidal Power was established to develop floating tidal-stream turbine technology.
Products and positioning
A specialist marine-energy technology developer positioned around floating, towable tidal turbines that can be installed, recovered and serviced with less seabed infrastructure than fixed-bottom systems.
Floating tidal-stream turbine prototype · 2011
SR250
A 250 kW prototype with twin contra-rotating 8 m rotors mounted on retractable rotor legs. Its buoyant hull and four-point catenary mooring system were intended to make towing, deployment and recovery practical. Built in Belfast and tested in Orkney, the SR250 achieved the company's first grid connection and established the floating-turbine concept in an operational marine environment.
Floating tidal-stream turbine demonstrator · 2016
SR2000
A 2 MW demonstrator with twin 16 m rotors and a 63 m hull. Launched in 2016, it was designed to operate through demanding wave conditions and produced more than 3 GWh during its initial continuous test programme. The machine remained under test until 2018 before being towed to Blyth for decommissioning.
Commercial floating tidal turbine · 2021
O2
Orbital's first commercial turbine is a twin-rotor floating platform with two 1 MW generators and a combined rotor swept area exceeding 600 square metres. Its blades can pitch through 360 degrees to work with reversing tidal flows, while the platform uses four-point moorings and a shallow towing draft. The O2 was deployed at the European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney and connected to the grid in 2021.
Next-generation floating tidal turbine
O2-X
A planned 2.4 MW evolution of the O2 platform, designed for adaptable deployment at multiple sites and eventual serial production. The design is being advanced through certification work and forms the basis of Orbital's planned Orkney tidal array, as well as proposed projects in Canada and other markets.
Marketing campaigns
- 2021O2 green-hydrogen demonstration
United Kingdom
Electricity from the O2 was used in a demonstration involving the European Marine Energy Centre's onshore electrolyser.
Outcome. The project explored tidal electricity as a source for producing green hydrogen and decarbonising wider energy uses.
- 2019O2 crowdfunding campaign
United Kingdom
Following its corporate rebrand, Orbital raised £7 million through crowdfunding to support construction of the O2 commercial turbine.
Outcome. The fundraising supported construction and deployment of the O2.
Brand decisions
2023
Move toward multi-turbine arraysStrategyBackground
Orbital had secured initial UK Contracts for Difference support and was developing a more standardized 2.4 MW turbine.
Action taken
The company advanced a six-turbine Orkney pipeline, a potential 30 MW Westray Firth array and the 9.6 MW EURO-TIDES concept.
Aftermath
These projects marked a shift from individual demonstrators toward commercial-scale tidal-farm development.
2021
Commercial deployment of the O2Product launchBackground
After the SR250 and SR2000 demonstrators, Orbital sought to prove the commercial viability of a larger floating platform.
Action taken
The company launched, deployed and grid-connected the 2 MW-class O2 at the Orkney test site.
Aftermath
The turbine provided an operating reference for planned O2-X arrays and related international projects.
2019
Rebrand from Scotrenewables to Orbital Marine PowerStrategyBackground
The company was moving from prototype development toward commercialization of its floating tidal technology.
Action taken
It adopted the Orbital Marine Power name and paired the rebrand with fundraising for the O2.
Aftermath
The O2 became the company's first commercial turbine and the basis for later O2-X array plans.
Recent events
- 2024
Global Energy Group selected for initial O2-X manufacturing[1]
Other
Global Energy Group was named preferred supplier for manufacturing the turbines associated with Orbital's initial Orkney Contracts for Difference projects.
- 2024
Orbital joins a U.S. marine-energy research project[1]
Other
The company received support through the U.S. Department of Energy TEAMER programme for research on site identification and environmental compliance for floating ocean-current turbines.
- 2023
Additional UK tidal contracts expand Orbital's Orkney pipeline[1]
Regulation
A further 7.2 MW of Contracts for Difference capacity brought the planned Eday pipeline to six O2-X turbines.
- 2023
Orbital leads the EURO-TIDES tidal-farm project[1]
Other
Orbital was selected to lead a Horizon Europe project focused on developing a 9.6 MW sustainable tidal array.
- 2022
Orbital wins UK Contracts for Difference awards for Orkney turbines[1]
Regulation
The company received support for 7.2 MW of tidal-generation capacity in the fourth Contracts for Difference allocation round.
- 2021
Orbital Marine Power launches the O2 tidal turbine[1]
Product launch
The company's first commercial turbine was launched in Dundee and towed to Orkney for deployment at the European Marine Energy Centre.
- 2021
O2 connects to the Orkney electricity grid[1]
Other
The O2 began exporting power at the Fall of Warness tidal test site off Eday, Orkney.
Sources6 sources
- 1Orbital Marine Poweren.wikipedia.org
- 2Orbital Marine Power official websiteorbitalmarine.com
- 3Orbital Marine Power teams up with Black & Veatch for tidal turbine optimisationrenewableenergymagazine.com
- 4Orbital Marine Power teams up with SKF for power train supply on world?s most powerful tidal turbinerenewableenergymagazine.com
- 5TechnipFMC Invests in Orbital Marine Power to accelerate tidal energy market presencerenewableenergymagazine.com
- 6TechnipFMC plc: TechnipFMC Announces Strategic Investment and Collaboration with Orbital Marine Power to Accelerate Tidal Energyfinanznachrichten.de
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