On Friday, Scotland embarked on one of the wave-energy industry’s most important product trials.
Aquamarine Power's Oyster is billed as the world's largest hydroelectric wave energy device
The world’s largest hydroelectric wave energy device, called the Oyster, was switched on. Power jolted into the energy grid, and manufacturer Aquamarine Power took a sigh of relief.
It is estimated the waters around Scotland hold about 10 percent of Europe’s wave energy. So the location of the trial is a critical test of the nation’s ability to harness the power of its local waters.
But more broadly, the in-water operation of the device is a key step for an industry still trying to prove that mechanical equipment can survive the harsh, corrosive offshore environment.
In a ceremony near the ocean’s edge, Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond proclaimed the moment as a renewables milestone for Scotland, which also has been an active developer of wind power.
The device was put in place on the seabed near Stromness this summer in 30 to 40 feet of water. It works when a cylindrical arm – referred to as a wave energy converter – rocks back and forth in the ocean’s waves and pumps high-pressure water to an onshore hydroelectric turbine. The turbine makes the electricity, feeding it into the electrical grid.
Because the wave converter has few moving parts, the company believes it will stand up well to storms and foul weather.
It is estimated that 20 Oysters in an offshore farm can supply enough energy to power 9,000 homes. But not until the first shows itself well in the rough waters of the Scottish coast.
