Orbital Marine Power, the Orkney and Edinburgh-based tidal stream energy company, has been shortlisted for Green Business of the Year at the British Business Awards — national recognition for a firm that is quietly redefining how the UK extracts clean energy from the sea.
The awards ceremony, held at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre last week and sponsored by Royal Bank of Scotland and NatWest Group, brought together the UK’s leading businesses across industries. Orbital’s shortlisting acknowledges companies that have demonstrated exceptional leadership in aligning environmental objectives with strong commercial delivery.
At the heart of Orbital’s proposition is a low-cost, predictable, and scalable floating tidal stream technology — a breakthrough approach to harvesting clean energy from flowing water. Where wind and solar have transformed the UK’s energy mix over the past two decades, both remain fundamentally dependent on weather conditions, creating supply unpredictability that grid operators must constantly manage. Tidal energy, by contrast, operates on the fixed rhythms of the moon and gravitational forces, meaning output can be forecast years in advance with near-perfect accuracy. For a national grid increasingly strained by intermittency, that predictability is not a minor advantage — it is a potential game-changer, and it sits at the core of what Orbital is building.
CEO Andrew Scott said: “Being shortlisted for Green Business of the Year at the British Business Awards is a real achievement for everyone at Orbital Marine Power. This nomination recognises the leadership and hard work that goes into aligning ambitious environmental goals with strong business delivery, and it strengthens our determination to keep building clean, predictable energy from the power of the tide.”
Orkney has long served as a testbed for Scotland’s most ambitious clean energy projects, and Orbital’s continued growth and national recognition underscores the island’s status as a proving ground for technologies with global potential. Royal Bank of Scotland, a long-standing banking partner to Orbital, has supported the business across multiple stages of its development.
Margaret Keenan, Relationship Manager at Royal Bank of Scotland, said: “It’s fantastic to see two of our customers in Orkney being shortlisted for such renowned awards. Their drive, ambition and commitment to building standout businesses that create real impact are exactly the qualities that strengthen our local economy and shape a more sustainable future. It’s a real privilege to be able to support them on their journeys.”
The British Business Awards ceremony, introduced by its patron Sir Bob Geldof and hosted by comedians Rob Brydon and Elaine C Smith, also featured a keynote address from actor and humanitarian George Clooney — a high-profile platform that amplifies the significance of Orbital’s inclusion among the UK’s top green businesses.
