The Technology Strategy Board has awarded a £450,000 (€543,000) grant, which the partners match-funded, to support a 30-month research, development and demonstration project to enable large-scale commercial production of Aquamarine Power’s Oyster wave energy converter. The innovative device – a buoyant hinged flap – attaches to the seabed and moves backwards and forwards in the nearshore waves, pumping high pressure water onshore to drive a hydro-electric turbine, which then generates electricity for the National Grid.
Under the partnership, engineers at BAE Systems usually involved in the design, repair and maintenance of complex naval systems, will work with Aquamarine Power to develop an intelligent diagnostic system and remote ballasting mechanism. Together, these innovations will drive down maintenance costs and help to maximise energy production, paving the way for this ground-breaking technology to be rolled out on a commercial scale to establish Oyster clean energy farms around the world.
“This is a great opportunity for us to apply skills developed in naval design and the management of large complex maritime engineering programmes to support the emerging marine energy industry,” declared Kevin McLeod, Engineering Director at BAE Systems’ Surface Ships division. “In working with Aquamarine Power as a partner, we are helping to pioneer commercial clean energy solutions that will help the UK meet its ambitious climate change targets.”
“The Oyster system works well,” said Aquamarine Power Chief Executive, Martin McAdam. “Our next step is to drive down the cost of electricity generated from wave power through improvements in Oyster reliability and reduced maintenance costs”.
Aquamarine Power’s innovative Oyster technology is designed to be installed at around 10 metres depth, 0.5km from shore. Aquamarine Power has already installed and tested its Oyster 1 demonstration device at the European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney, Scotland, where it generates electricity which is transmitted to the National Grid to power homes in the local area. It is estimated that a farm of 20 next generation Oyster 2 devices will generate enough energy to power more than 12,000 homes.
BAE Systems also involved with wind
BAE Systems is already involved in a number of initiatives to support the renewable energy sector. The defence company actively works with the wind farm industry to resolve issues about their disruption to radars. Its engineers designed the electrical distribution system for the largest land based wind farm in Europe at Whitelee and BAE Systems is also working with partners to develop a deepwater offshore windfarm design.
Aquamarine Power closed a £6 million (€7.2 million) funding round this year and has subsequently been awarded more than £3 million from the Scottish Government WATERS fund (Wave and Tidal Energy: Research, Development and Demonstration Support). The company is actively seeking a major investment partner and a strategic technology partner to take the Oyster device through to commercialisation.
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