Wavegen & npower renewables agreement could see wave energy on island

[jpak]

UK & Germany. Wavegen & npower renewables agreement could see wave energy plant island of Lewis

http://www.bymnews.com/new/content/view/33848/82/

A further important step in the utilization of energy from the oceans has been taken by Voith Siemens Hydro and its Scottish subsidiary Wavegen: An agreement between npower renewables - a British subsidiary of RWE - and Wavegen might lead to the development of a three megawatt wave energy plant in the Hebridean island of Lewis.

The technology to be used in this plant would be based on Wavegen's Limpet plant on the island of Islay. This plant utilizes Oscillating Water Column (OWC) technology and is the only grid connected OWC plant operating under commercial conditions. The plant has been operating since 2000.

If the project goes ahead, npower renewables and Wavegen would integrate Wavegen's OWC technology into a new breakwater. By combining such a renewable energy project with the breakwater development, civil engineering costs could be shared and result in a considerable cost reduction for the wave power plant, while providing local benefit from the new breakwater that creates a new harbor for the local infrastructure. The plant is assumed to supply electricity for around 1,500 homes per year.

"The confidence demonstrated by npower renewables in the Wavegen technology proves our leading position in the development of wave energy technology," said Voith Siemens Hydro CEO Dr Hubert Lienhard. "We believe that the operation of the Limpet plant over the last five years gives Wavegen unrivalled experience of grid-connected wave plant operation."

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[ThomCat]

1. I wonder

what the implications of this type of plan are. What impact does it have on sea life and sea conditions?

If it's clean and minimally invasive then I'm all for it. But the last thing we want to do is replace one destructive form of energy with another.

[thecrow]

2. I used to dream of having this type of power as a child.

Great to see 50 years later as becoming a reality!