French company EEL Energy has tested its commercial-scale 50kW tidal energy turbine in the Port of Brest.

The first tests of EEL Energy’s 50kW tidal turbine took place in May in the Port of Brest, with the support of local marine service provider TSM Iroise Mer.

Based on the concept of bio-mimicry, EEL Energy’s tidal energy converter has been designed to replicate the undulating movements of marine life to produce clean power.

The results of tests in the Port of Brest has enabled the company to validate the design of the machine, which is 10 times more powerful than the prototypes tested earlier, according to EEL Energy.

“We did not have any mechanical problems, despite performing trials well beyond the standard operating ranges to validate the robustness of the machine. The rated power of the machine could also be confirmed,” EEL said in a statement.

EEL Energy added that the next step is another test campaign, to be conducted in July, to test a variant on the hydraulic energy recovery system.

As reported earlier, EEL Energy is looking for investors in order to accelerate the development of its tidal turbine technology, as the company aims to reach 1MWh by 2024.

The company is targeting up to €2 million through fundraising campaign, which has already amassed €750,000 of investments, EEL Energy confirmed.