The company planning to install the first wave energy device at Wave Hub has applied for a marine licence for the deployment.
Cork-based Ocean Energy has asked the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) for permission to deploy its €9 million OE Buoy wave energy converter at Wave Hub, around 10 miles off the north coast of Cornwall in South West England.
The one megawatt device weighs 650-tonnes. Ocean Energy is in discussions with local supply chain companies about support with fabrication and deployment, and hopes to operate from the newly refurbished North Quay in Hayle Harbour.
Wave Hub, a partner in the South West Marine Energy Park, consists of a giant ‘socket’ on the seabed connected to the national grid on shore by an underwater cable, into which wave energy devices can be ‘plugged.’ It is the world’s largest grid-connected offshore marine energy test site.
Claire Gibson, general manager at Wave Hub, said:
“Ocean Energy’s application for a marine licence marks a significant milestone for us and is a further important step towards a full scale device deployment at Wave Hub.”
John McCarthy, chief executive and co-founder of Ocean Energy said:
“Having completed successful trials of a scale device for over three years in Galway Bay we are keen to progress to a full size prototype at a grid connected site. Wave Hub gives us the infrastructure and conditions we need to achieve this and it is an excellent accelerant for our commercialisation.”
The application comes as two independent reports recently confirmed the huge potential for wave energy in the South West. Studies by The Crown Estate and Carbon Trust found significant offshore resource that could potentially power tens of thousands of homes if harnessed economically.
The reports are expected to inform future licensing rounds for the commercial development of marine renewables.
Ocean Energy already has MMO consent to carry out anchor trials at the Wave Hub site. These will get underway if the full consent is granted and test whether the proposed anchoring system is suitable for the location. A decision on the consent is expected by the end of the year.
Ocean Energy is participating in this project with its technology partner Dresser-Rand, the largest service provider in the oil and gas industry. The OE Buoy weighs 650 tonnes, is 37.5 metres long, 18 metres wide and has a draft of 8.75 metres.
Barhale has completed work on two separate Rapid Action Taskforce Spills projects it is carrying out for Severn Trent.
Börger UK, which has firmly established itself as a leading pump brand since it was set up in Staffordshire in 2004, has moved into bigger, brand-new premises in Shrewsbury.
HUBER Technology UK & Ireland are inviting people to register for their March webinar where they will be providing information about HUBER water intake screens for municipal and industrial applications.
Sulzer has launched a new global Center of Excellence (CoE) for Water Treatment Solutions - the CoE consolidates Sulzer’s wastewater treatment expertise in a unified and global manner.
Hear how Scottish Water has completed its £235 million Ayrshire Glasgow Resilience Project - customers across Greater Glasgow, Ayrshire and East Renfrewshire will now benefit from a more secure and resilient water supply.
Hear how United Utilities is accelerating its investment to reduce spills from storm overflows across the Northwest.
Find out more about the remarkable career opportunities on offer at WSP - scroll down to watch the inspirational video.