The University of Manchester is leading a new research programme aimed at removing one of the biggest uncertainties facing the commercial scale-up of tidal power: underwater noise.
As a rapid expansion of tidal-stream energy, the project, known as (not)NOISY, will develop the first advanced tools capable of predicting how noise from tidal turbine arrays travels through the marine environment before projects are built.
The work is designed to give regulators, developers and policymakers a stronger evidence base as tidal moves from single devices to large multi-turbine arrays.
Tidal power is increasingly seen as a strategic part of the UK’s clean energy mix. Unlike wind or solar, it is highly predictable and delivers power day in, day out, making it a valuable complement to other renewables.
But as arrays grow to ten turbines or more, understanding cumulative environmental impacts becomes critical, particularly collision risk and underwater noise.
Modelling suggests turbine noise could travel up to eight kilometres through the ocean, raising questions about how marine life may be affected. At present, there are no tools able to estimate that cumulative acoustic footprint with high confidence.
Lead researcher Dr Pablo Ouro said: “Noise generation is one of the biggest uncertainties facing tidal projects today. With arrays expected to grow in number and size, we need tools that can predict their cumulative acoustic footprint prior to deployment.”
The Manchester-led team will build high-fidelity computer models and AI-assisted tools that replicate real tidal conditions, allowing researchers to track how noise behaves across different turbine types, layouts and environments.
The work will be tested at major European tidal sites in Scotland, Wales and northern France.
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