TU podcast: Interview with Flumill

Flumill AS is working on an innovative way to harvest energy from moving water - using turbine technology that resembles enormous twisted pasta shapes.

- Tidal energy remains an underappreciated resource, says Andreas Brobakken, senior systems engineer at Flumill, to Tech Editor Jan Moberg in the podcast interview to Teknisk sett. In the interview, they explore how flowing water, whether from ocean currents, tides, or rivers, can be turned into clean energy.

You can listen to the TU Podcast interview with Flumill here (in Norwegian)

Flumill’s turbine design consists of large spiral-shaped blades made from glass-reinforced plastic. Each unit has a diameter of 3–5 meters and can be extended up to 50 meters in length.

- This material choice keeps production costs down while making large-scale deployment feasible. The low-speed rotation is also key to ensuring marine life isn’t harmed, explains Brobakken.

Flexible deployment options‍

The technology is designed to be versatile and can be installed on the seabed, at the surface, or in rivers—depending on where the current is strongest.

Environmental concerns have been central to the project from the beginning.

- Previous attempts at tidal energy have often failed due to a lack of respect for the sheer force of the ocean. We've focused on building something robust from the start, not rushing into the water without a solid plan, says Brobakken.

Some of the advantages of the Flumill system include minimal moving parts, compact installation, and built-in self-regulation that adapts to varying flow conditions.

Big potential in Norway‍

While international markets are a natural target, Brobakken also sees significant opportunities for tidal energy development in Norway—especially in the northern regions.

- Norway could turn out to be a more important market for us than we initially assumed. With the right conditions, we’re potentially looking at thousands of installations, he says.

Flumill is currently planning its first installation in Lofoten, with a timeline aiming for 2027–2028.