AWS Ocean’s Waveswing device
WAVE ENERGY TO MAKE BIG SPLASH OFF ORKNEY The deployment of two high-tech devices in the waters off Orkney this year will represent a major milestone in the programme to make Scotland’s wave energy industry commercially sustainable. Development of a new and innovative industrial technology was always going to be a huge challenge, but the future of Scotland’s wave energy sector has never been brighter. Two exciting prototype devices are all set to be put to the ultimate test off Orkney this year, representing a significant milestone for the industry. The programme is led by Wave Energy Scotland, a subsidiary of HIE established in 2014, to take forward wave energy development in Scotland.
Tim Hurst
Demonstration of Mocean Energy’s Blue X unit and AWS Ocean’s Waveswing device will be the result of more than six years of innovation, development and testing, £41.6m Scottish Government investment, and the combined efforts of more than 230 organisations from 13 countries. “The country is ready to fully capitalise on all that has been achieved in the wider wave sector and the specific opportunities now offered by Mocean and AWS,” says WES managing director Tim Hurst, who leads a team of 12 across offices in Inverness, Benbecula, Stornoway and Edinburgh.
The demonstration programme for the scaled devices is part of a long-term plan that includes deployment of nextgeneration units in 2023, multi-device arrays in 2024-25 and commercialisation on a utility scale in 2030. The focus throughout will be on performance and reliability. The timeline dovetails with welcome backing from the UK government. Its Contracts for Difference scheme, the main programme for supporting low carbon electricity generation, is expected to smooth the route to market for wave power. Deployment also coincides with this year’s upcoming COP26 climate conference in Glasgow and the acceleration of efforts to achieve net zero carbon emissions in Scotland by 2045 and in the wider UK by 2050. Next-generation renewable electricity generation including marine energy is expected to play a key role in the UK and globally in helping to keep global warming well below two degrees celsius. Other sectors are also interested in the technology, particularly oil and gas. Mocean will, for example, incorporate its Blue X technology into a subsea battery storage and remote underwater vehicle concept being developed by EC-OG for Chrysaor, supported by the Oil and Gas Technology Centre (OGTC). “Our test programme in Orkney will allow us to prove our concept at sea,” says Mocean managing director Cameron McNatt.
Cameron McNatt
“Deployment of these devices is the culmination of 96 different projects carried out since 2014 across five competitive workstreams. The watchwords from day one have been collaboration, cross-fertilisation and shared knowledge,” adds Tim.
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“This enables the development of commercial scale technologies suited to the oil and gas and other industries,” he adds. “It is a genuine opportunity to showcase the potential for renewable energy to power a subsea application.”
