Lloyd’s Register issues IECRE Feasibility Statement to Orbital Marine Power for pioneering O2-X Tidal Energy Converter
This milestone represents a crucial advancement for what will become the world’s most powerful tidal turbine.
Lloyd’s Register (LR) has awarded an International Electrotechnical Commission for Renewable Energy (IECRE) Feasibility Statement to Orbital Marine Power (Orbital) for its O2-X Tidal Energy Converter (TEC).
The IECRE is a global renewable energy conformity assessment system and a part of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). It provides a globally recognised framework for certifying marine energy technologies, ensuring transparency and credibility for investors, regulators, and industry stakeholders.
As an evolution of the company’s existing O2 turbine, currently deployed in the Fall of Warness, Scotland, the O2-X is expected to generate 2.4MW of predictable, renewable energy from tidal flows.
With plans for deployment in the UK, Canada, and the US, Orbital aims to scale up tidal energy as a reliable source of zero-emission power, potentially integrating with offshore operations, coastal infrastructure, and maritime electrification projects.
As the only renewable energy certification body (RECB) with a scope in marine energy, LR has been working closely with Orbital to ensure the O2-X meets required international standards. This certification process is essential to enable international trade, as global industries and products rely on consensus-based international standards and Conformity Assessment Systems.
The independent assessment of the O2-X was conducted through an intensive ten-day Technology Qualification (TQ) workshop, involving 11 discipline specialists from LR and 22 technical experts representing Orbital. Based on the IEC TS 62600-4 (the international technical specification for Technology Qualification), the evaluation concluded in Orbital developing a TQ Plan outlining further qualification activities to provide technical assurance concerning the turbine’s reliability, efficiency, and safety. Following this process, LR issued Orbital an IECRE Feasibility Statement—the first step in the IECRE certification pathway.
Winston D’Souza, Global Technical Authority for Offshore Renewables for LR, said: “In awarding Orbital with an IECRE Feasibility Statement, we recognise an important milestone in the certification of a pioneering tidal energy technology. Their rigorous engineering approach underscores the UK’s position at the forefront of the marine renewable sector.
“As they progress towards full IECRE certification, LR looks forward to continuing our support for Orbital and the wider integration of tidal energy technology into the power grids they are connected to.”
Calum Miller, Engineering Manager – New Turbines for Orbital, said: “We are pleased to have reached this important milestone in the certification process for our series production model turbine, the O2-X. We welcome the independent scrutiny as a means to both reduce technical risk and to reinforce our stakeholders’ confidence in our rigorous engineering approach.”
About Lloyd’s Register
Trusted maritime advisors, partnering with clients to drive performance across the ocean economy.
Lloyd’s Register (LR) is a global professional services group specialising in marine engineering, technology and digital solutions. We were created more than 260 years ago as the world’s first marine classification society to improve and set standards for the safety of ships.
Today we are a leading provider of classification and compliance services to the marine and offshore industries, helping our clients design, construct and operate their assets to accepted levels of safety and environmental compliance.
We also provide advisory services and digital solutions, supporting fleet and voyage performance and optimisation.
Our digital solutions are relied upon by more than 30,000 vessels, following the acquisition of OneOcean in 2022 and Ocean Technologies Group in 2024.
In the race to zero emissions, our research, advisory and technical expertise and industry-firsts are supporting a safe, sustainable maritime energy transition.
Lloyd’s Register Group is wholly owned by the Lloyd’s Register Foundation, a politically and financially independent global charity that promotes safety and education.
For more information, go to www.lr.org
About Orbital Marine Power Ltd.
Scottish-based Orbital Marine Power (Orbital) is a visionary renewable energy company focused on the application of its pioneering floating turbine technology that can supply predictable power from the world’s tidal streams and ocean currents, every day, regardless of the weather.
As global efforts to reduce carbon emissions intensify across economies and through essential industries, demand for low-carbon energy is increasing and market premiums are emerging for solutions that offer dependable clean energy that is neither linked to the wind nor the sun.
Orbital is the market leader in the race to commercially harness the as-yet untapped, unique energy source powered from the orbits of the Earth and Moon around our sun and already operates the world’s most powerful tidal turbine, the 2MW O2.
More information about Orbital can be found here: www.orbitalmarine.com
