Team Tetra Turbine’s Global Success and COVE’s Growing Impact with OffshoreWind4Kids

Innovation, resilience, and practical learning were on full display this July as Team Tetra Turbine from Dalhousie University earned international recognition at the 2025 Floating Wind Challenge in Belgium.

Hosted by Belgium-based non-profit OffshoreWind4Kids (OW4K), the challenge brought together top student teams from around the world to test their offshore wind concepts in real ocean conditions.

Team Tetra Turbine—comprised of Amy Kehoe, Cara Cripton-Inglis, and Andrew Ollerhead—stood out not only as the smallest team in the competition, but also for their technical ambition. They were the only team to successfully implement a Tension Leg Platform (TLP) design, overcoming challenging surf conditions and manually installing three 125-pound moorings by hand. Their structure earned them third place overall and the award for Best Cost Efficiency at Full Scale.

“Our successful implementation of a TLP system really made us stand out,” said Andrew. “This challenge was an incredible opportunity for academic, personal, and professional development, and we’re incredibly grateful that COVE made it possible for us to take part.”

COVE first partnered with OW4K in 2023 to inspire youth across Atlantic Canada to explore careers in offshore wind and clean energy. Through interactive, real-world experiences, the OW4K program encourages students to engage with engineering principles, clean technology, and problem-solving—all while planting seeds for the future workforce.

Thanks to new support from RBC, the program is now expanding across the Maritimes, with a launch in Prince Edward Island on the horizon. OW4K continues to grow as a leading workforce development initiative, introducing youth and families to the technologies and career pathways shaping the marine renewable energy sector.

Program impact at COVE since 2023 includes:

• Engaging over 3,000 students in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick
• Hosting 7 community Beach Days
• Supporting 4 student teams from NSCC and Dalhousie University in provincial and global competitions

This growth would not be possible without the continued support of RBC and the Province of Nova Scotia, whose investment enables COVE to deliver OW4K programming at scale.

The Floating Wind Challenge is a vital extension of OW4K, offering post-secondary students the opportunity to apply their skills in a high-impact, global setting. Competitions like this not only provide the opportunity to showcase Canadian innovation—they also prepare students to lead in a rapidly growing clean energy industry.

Together, through early engagement and real-world challenges, we are equipping the next generation of innovators to power a more sustainable future.