Tidal energy company Spiralis Energy announced that it has received a strategic investment of £800,000 (roughly USD$1 million) from London-listed energy company Kistos Holdings. This funding will enable Spiralis to build and test one of its tidal power units as it prepares for its first trial deployment in 2025.
Most coastal areas, experience two high tides and two low tides every day. Tidal energy is captured when a company places a device where it can capture the energy embedded in this flow of water and change of volume. It is estimated that tidal energy could provide a global energy resource of 800-1200TWh. By comparison, the United Kingdom used only 316TWh in 2023.
Founded in 2023, Spiralis has created a tidal energy system, the Axial Skelter, in which the only moving part is a 3D-printed spiral based on the shape of a Turritella seasheli. The entire tidal energy generator can be produced in less than a week and assembled almost anywhere. The spiral comprises segments that can be shipped as a build kit in standard shipping containers, with parts that can be swapped out and recycled. This can save costs and emissions because it doesn’t require special transport.
The company said Axial Skelter can be deployed in any moving water with sufficient depth and a flow of at least one meter per second, making it suitable for both large rivers and offshore tidal flows. Because the device has no sharp edges and relatively slow rotation, Spiralis said, it is friendly to marine life.
The company said its recent models have indicated that one full-sized generator unit will, on average, produce up to 500 kW of power. UK energy regulator Ofgem estimates the average home in the UK uses 2,700 kWh per year.
Guy Levene, CEO of Spiralis Energy, said, “The Axial Skelter has the power to revolutionise tidal power as we know it. Our technology addresses the challenges which have prevented tidal energy from being scaleable and affordable, issues that have delayed tidal energy from playing its full part in the UK energy mix as a clean and reliable source of power. Our ambition is to provide energy companies with a product that will enable tidal and river flows to be exploited for clean, affordable energy. We intend to play a key role in the UK’s ambition to become carbon neutral by 2050.”
