Scottish marine energy company Aquamarine Power has unveiled its latest wave energy conversion device, the Oyster 800.
The company revealed the 800 kW device at a ceremony in Methil, Fife, in July attended by Scottish First Minister, Alex Salmond. It says that the Oyster 800 represents the “huge progress” made in wave energy technology in the UK in the last two years.
The machine is to be transported by sea from the Firth of Forth to the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney for installation this summer. Two more Oysters will be deployed at EMEC in 2012 and 2013, says Aquamarine.
“The Oyster 800 is a significant advance on our first Oyster device. Our dedicated engineering and R&D teams have designed it to be simpler, more robust and more efficient. This means we can offer 250 per cent more power at a third of the cost,” said Martin McAdam, CEO of Aquamarine. “Our goal is to make future Oysters cost competitive within the next few years. The Oyster 800 will help us gather the data that we need to deliver on that.”
Aquamarine Power installed and grid-connected its first full-scale 315 kW Oyster at EMEC in 2009. It operated through two winters and delivered over 6000 operating hours.
The latest Oyster device works in the same way as Oyster 1, but with significant improvements, says Aquamarine. These include a modified shape and a design that makes installation and maintenance easier and more cost-effective compared to the early device.
“Aquamarine Power has made huge progress in less than two years since its first Oyster device was connected to the grid at EMEC – proving the technology and driving down costs – a testament to the vision, commitment and expertise throughout the company,” said Salmond, who wants renewable and marine energy to play a major role in Scotland’s economy.
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