News
Oyster officially switched on by First Minister
20/11/2009 12:56:00
THE wave energy industry took a major stride forward today when the world's largest working hydro-electric wave energy device, known as 'Oyster', was officially launched by Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond MP, MSP at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney.
The device, developed by wave energy company Aquamarine Power, is
currently the world's only hydro-electric wave energy device which is
producing power.
The Oyster launch took place at EMEC's Billia Croo site near Stromness,
where the device was installed this summer. Scotland's First Minister
was on site to switch on Oyster for the first time.
Oyster is now producing power by pumping high pressure water to its
onshore hydro-electric turbine. This will be fed into the National
Grid to power homes in Orkney and beyond. A farm of 20 Oysters would
provide enough energy to power 9,000 three bedroom family homes.
Speaking at the launch, Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond MP, MSP
said: "I'm delighted to see first-hand the full-scale Oyster now
installed
and operating offshore. This is a key milestone for Aquamarine
Power
and for Scotland's marine renewables sector.
"Scotland's potential renewables capacity is estimated to be around
60GW. Our waters hold around ten per cent of Europe's wave power
potential and as much as a quarter of its tidal power potential. The
European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) provides world-leading test
facilities for Aquamarine and other companies to develop the technology
needed to harness this huge untapped potential.
"I am delighted to confirm further R&D funding of almost £1m to
Aquamarine Power for the development of Oyster 2, which could be
installed within two years. Through our investments and initiatives
such as the Saltire Prize, the Scottish Government is working to ensure
we capitalise on our rich natural resources, to meet our ambitious
climate change targets, to create more high-skilled green jobs and to
make a substantial contribution to one of the most pressing global
challenges."
Martin McAdam, Chief Executive Officer of Aquamarine Power, said: "This is a fantastic day for the wave energy industry and for
Aquamarine Power. We have proved what we always believed - that wave
energy can produce sustainable zero-emission electricity to power our
homes. The UK has one of the best wave resources in the world. Now it
also has the best technology.
"The announcement of nearly £1m Scottish Enterprise funding is very
welcome and will enable Aquamarine Power to attract further inward
investment for the successful development of the next-generation
commercial-scale Oyster. This is exactly the kind of support the
industry needs. With continued support of this nature we can help
decarbonise our electricity supply, and build a major, world-beating
industry here in the UK."
Neil Kermode, Managing Director of EMEC said: "EMEC are delighted to see Oyster installed, running and on test. It is
a tribute to both the Aquamarine Power team for their work, and also to
the vision of the public sector in setting EMEC up in the first place
to help developers get into the water as efficiently as possible. I
look forward to Oyster being joined by many more machines in the coming
years."
Oyster is Aquamarine Power's first demonstration-scale wave energy
device. Its performance will now be monitored and the results from the
testing will provide a basis for the design of the next-generation
commercial-scale Oyster.
Oyster is designed to capture the energy found in nearshore waves in
water depths between 10 and 16 metres. The benefit of Oyster is its
simplicity. There are minimal moving parts and all electrical
components are onshore, making it robust enough to withstand the
rigours of Scotland's harsh seas.