Scotland’s wave energy test centers are collaborating to support technology companies aiming to develop the next generation of wave energy converters.
The European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC), and the FloWave Ocean Energy Research Facility will work together to offer real world technical input and tank testing capabilities to developers applying to Wave Energy Scotland’s latest funding call on novel wave energy converter concepts, EMEC ‘s press release reads.
The call will offer up to 100 percent funding to develop novel wave energy concepts that have not previously been developed and characterised. Wave Energy Scotland (WES) expects to fund up to eight projects with this £2.4 mln Stage 1 call.
Up to £300.000 of funding is available to each project selected, and test tank performance and validation testing – as witnessed and verified by a suitable third party assessor – is a key requirement for developers to evidence their device performance and other claims to WES, EMEC’s press release reads.
Commenting on the call, Oliver Wragg , EMEC’s commercial director said: “EMEC provided a lot of dedicated technical input and support to developers in the previous Wave Energy Scotland call for power take-off systems specifically in the area of test result verification, and we’re keen to provide developers with the support they need to submit a successful bid in this round of applications.”
Stuart Brown , FloWave’s chief executive officer, said: “By ensuring that tank testing reflects real world conditions to the greatest extent possible, and in particular the actual EMEC sites where devices are likely to be deployed in the later stages of development, FloWave and EMEC can jointly offer a clear route ‘from the lab to the ocean’ for any new technology.”
EMEC is an Orkney-based real sea conditions testing facility for wave and tidal energy converters. The centre offers independent, accredited grid-connected test berths for full-scale prototypes, as well as test sites in less challenging conditions for use by smaller scale technologies, supply chain companies, and equipment manufacturers.
The FloWave Ocean Energy Research Facility, located at Edinburgh University’s King’s Buildings campus, is a 25 metre circular pool that can recreate complex waves and fast currents for project sites around the UK, Europe and beyond.
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Image: EMEC/Illustration