Inyanga Marine opens office in Wales to support HydroWing tidal energy project

Business Developments & Projects

January 10, 2024, by Zerina Maksumic

Inyanga Marine Energy Group has opened a new office in Wales to support the development of the 10 MW HydroWing tidal stream energy project at Morlais, Anglesey.

The HydroWing project secured a contract in the latest Contracts for Difference (CfD) auction round in the UK held back in September 2023.

The Morlais site is the UK’s largest consented tidal energy scheme, managed by the social enterprise Menter Môn. Menter Môn manages an area of 35 km2 of the seabed near Holy Island, Anglesey.

The Morlais HydroWing project is scheduled for deployment in 2027.

Richard Parkinson, CEO of Inyanga Marine, the parent company of HydroWing, said “Commercialisation of tidal stream energy has so far been held back by high operations and maintenance costs. Our HydroWing technology meets that challenge head on. It will help unlock the commercial viability of tidal stream energy around the world, offering a low cost, reliable source of renewable energy for generations to come.”

The HydroWing project will feature Tocardo tidal turbines.

The new office is located at M-SParc (Menai Science Park), owned by Bangor University. Commercial Manager Osian Roberts will lead the office.

Inyanga Marine has two divisions – HydroWing, which focuses on tidal energy technology development, and Inyanga Maritime, which delivers offshore engineering and installation.

According to HydroWing, its technology is based on a unique patented modular design that improves the cost-efficiency and production of tidal stream energy.

HydroWing is described as a simple, cost-effective method for generating tidal stream energy.

It consists of a structure that rests on the seabed and ‘wings’ with turbines attached, which are easily lowered into place. These turbines work in both directions, generating power with the incoming and outgoing tides, and are economical to produce in large quantities.

Simon Cheeseman, Sector Lead on Wave and Tidal Energy at the (ORE) Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult, said: “Tidal energy is a crucial part of the mix to achieve net zero targets globally. The team at Inyanga Marine Energy Group has unrivalled experience in the sector, having deployed more than half of all tidal stream energy devices worldwide. So it is great to see their immense knowledge and experience informing the design and deployment strategy for HydroWing, a technology that is helping deliver sector innovation.”