Tidal energy developer OpenHydro, a DCNS company, has secured honors at this year’s Engineers Ireland Excellence Awards and SEAI Sustainable Energy Awards.
At the Engineers Ireland Excellence Awards, OpenHydro won the Tech Innovation Award for its Turbine Control Center, while employee Andrew Carlisle secured the International Engineer of the Year award. At the SEAI Sustainable Energy Awards, OpenHydro also won the coveted Innovation Award for its tidal turbine technology.
OpenHydro achieved these innovation awards through the development of its unique tidal turbine technology designed at the company’s Research & Development (R&D) Technology Center based in Carlingford, Co. Louth.
James Ives, Chief Executive at OpenHydro, said, “OpenHydro has nearly one gigawatt of project development in progress across multiple sites in Europe and North America. Over the coming months we plan to achieve industry firsts by delivering two of the world’s first grid connected tidal arrays in France and Canada.”
Andrew Carlisle, winner of this year’s ‘International Engineer of the Year’ award at the Engineers Ireland Excellence Awards, is based in OpenHydro’s offices in Nova Scotia, Canada, where he works as the technical manager on the Cape Sharp Tidal energy project.
Originally from Belfast, Andrew’s role as technical authority on the project sees him leading a team of engineers, with responsibility for ensuring the technical performance of all aspects of the project.
The Engineers Ireland Excellence Awards, now in its sixth year, recognizes the high quality work of Irish engineers and engineering projects both in Ireland and abroad.
The SEAI Sustainable Energy Awards recognize excellence in energy in businesses, communities and public sector organisations, with innovation at the heart of the competition.