Engineers from the University of Edinburgh have developed a new type of generator which could reduce the cost of electricity produced by offshore renewable technologies.

The lightweight, stackable generator system—which converts mechanical energy produced by offshore wind, wave, and tidal technologies into electricity—could also extend the lifespan of renewable energy installations.

The modular system, developed by new spinout company CGEN Engineering, can easily be transported to renewable energy installations and assembled into a complete power system.

Unlike conventional systems, each module can be added, replaced, or altered, meaning energy companies can keep operations running without long downtimes, the team said.

Invented in Edinburgh
The technology was created by Professor Markus Mueller of the University’s School of Engineering. It was further developed with Dr Joseph Burchell, a Research Fellow in the School of Engineering and CGEN’s managing director, and mechanical and manufacturing engineer Mike Galbraith.

The team has thus far tested the technology at scales up to one megawatt—enough electricity to supply hundreds of homes.

Renewable Installation Boosts
The technology could deliver a range of benefits for offshore renewables, including reducing the average cost of energy they produce by 10 to 15%.

It could also increase the operational life of installations by 30 to 40% compared to traditional generator systems, while reducing the lifetime operating and maintenance costs for generator installations by 50 to 70%.

“We believe our technology directly addresses critical gaps in the UK’s offshore renewable energy supply chain,” said Dr Burchell.

“We aim to collaborate closely with manufacturers and original equipment manufacturers to scale up the production of our technology, ultimately expanding the Scottish and UK supply chains to meet the growing needs of the sector.”

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Towards Commercialisation
Supported by Edinburgh Innovations, the University of Edinburgh’s commercialisation service, the CGEN team has been working with various companies to design and test their technology.

This includes fellow University of Edinburgh startup Mocean Energy, which is using CGEN’s generator technology in its BlueX wave energy machine.

“We are delighted to have supported the CGEN team through to company formation,” commented Dr Andrea Taylor, CEO of Edinburgh Innovations.

“CGEN’s technology provides a solution to several ‘pain points’ for offshore renewables and we look forward to working with manufacturers and investors to reach full commercial scale.

“It is through innovation—translating cutting-edge research into solutions to global challenges—that we will make progress in tackling complex problems like climate change.”