DP Energy and Floating Power Plant (FPP), the developers behind the Katanes wind-wave energy scheme in Scotland, have decided to move ahead to the next stage of the project development.
The companies have undertaken a detailed analysis of the Katanes project located off Caithness and Sutherland in the north of Scotland and, having completed the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) screening , have decided to proceed to the next stage of this development, according to Simon De Pietro, CEO of renewable energy and sustainable development specialist DP Energy.
The move marks the stepping stone for FPP’s first commercial development based on its patented P80 platform technology, the Danish clean-tech company FPP said.
The P80 technology platform features a floating wind turbine, combined with a wave energy extraction technology to harness both the energy of wind and waves.
The fist demonstrator for the Katanes project will be composed of up to 3.6MW wave and 7-8 MW wind power, followed by a further stage with an array of up to approximately 47MW, according to Anders Køhler, CEO of FPP.
Køhler added: “As it looks now, our technology could be entering construction and be operational on the Katanes site in a 2021-22 timeframe.”
According to the companies, the long-term goal is to develop a commercial scale project in staged development steps.
De Pietro said: “We consider Katanes to be a world-leading location for an early-stage development of this technology.
“This, together with the strengths of the local and national supply chain and the Scottish Government’s commitment to support the offshore energy sector, especially emerging technologies such as floating wind and wave, has led us to this decision.
“We look forward to engaging with stakeholders as our plans develop and are now working towards preparing an EIA Scoping Report for issue to the statutory authorities and for wider consultation.”
De Pietro also mentioned that the evaluation is currently underway regarding the potential additional development off the north coast of Scotland, applauding the Crown Estate’s announcement of further offshore wind leasing plans.
To remind, in November 2016, FPP and DP Energy teamed up to develop hybrid wind-wave energy projects both in Scotland and Wales.