Wave Energy Scotland (WES) has initiated a new project with the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) to capture the wealth of knowledge and experience amassed in Orkney through testing wave energy devices in real sea conditions. Results from the study will support and inform the wave energy convertor (WEC) designs currently under development.
EMEC said in a statement that taking the requirements of open-water testing into consideration at an early stage of the design process would ultimately improve WEC readiness for deployment in real sea conditions.
A set of guidance documents will be produced which focus on real-sea experience in compliance, handling, installation and operations and maintenance (O&M) of devices, drawing on the expertise and knowledge within Orkney’s well-established marine renewables supply chain. The findings will also make it easier and quicker for developers to identify the services available to support their projects.
“Information of this kind will be invaluable to developers at the early stages of wave energy converter design and development,” Wave Energy Scotland Managing Director Tim Hurst said, adding that the study would help programme participants to make informed decisions at earlier stages of their device development, helping to avoid costly errors at the deployment stage.
EMEC Technical Manager Elaine Buck noted that more marine energy converters had been deployed in Orkney than at any other site in the world, giving it unprecedented experience in supporting installations and operations at sea.
“This remarkable activity has allowed them to develop best practice for a diverse range of scenarios. Many local companies are now exporting their skills and knowledge across the globe based on this experience and success. What we’d like to do is capture some of this learning to make it easier for the wave energy companies coming to EMEC in the future,” she said.