Aquamarine Power recently completed the first phase of installation of its Oyster device at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney.
The 194-tonne device was lowered onto a seabed subframe and bolted in place at the EMEC. The next phase of the project will be to connect it to subsea pipelines that provide high-pressure freshwater to an onshore turbine, ahead of grid connection and sea trials later this year.
In operation, the Oyster’s oscillator is fitted with pistons fixed to the nearshore bed. Waves activate the oscillator, pumping high-pressure water through a subsea pipeline to the shore. Onshore, conventional hydro-electric generators convert this high-pressure water into electrical power.