Welcome to Lotus-PTO
Wave and tidal power face a tough challenge: equipment wears out quickly in the harsh marine environment. Sand, corrosion, and fast‑growing marine life damage key components, especially the seals that keep seawater out. This leads to higher costs and lower efficiency.
Inspired by the self‑cleaning surface of the lotus leaf, the LOTUS‑PTO project is developing new laser‑textured surfaces for PTO systems — the technology that turns ocean motion into electricity.
The project aims to:
- create bio‑inspired surfaces that reduce fouling and friction
- replace toxic coatings with durable, sustainable materials
- use AI monitoring to track wear in real time
- extend component lifetime and cut maintenance needs
Expected impact:
- 10% lower water resistance
- 5% more usable energy
- 10% lower maintenance costs
- 50% less biological fouling
- 15% longer lifespan
The result: more efficient, sustainable ocean energy — with reduced use of critical materials and improved recyclability.
The project is supported by CETP, Clean Energy Transition Partnership.
News
Larvaes search for a place to settle
Barnacle cyprid larvaes are notorius early settlers, and if they like the place many more might come. In LOTUS-PTO project we want to minimize the biofouling, such as barnacle. Therefore, it's important to modify the surface in a way that doesn't attract these larvaes. In this short movie, recorded by Kent Berntsson, you'll see a Barnacle larvae moving across a surface, trying to find out if it's a nice place to settle. It follows a scratch in the surface – maybe this would be the place to be?
