Wello’s Penguin wave energy converter (WEC) has sunk at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) Billia Croo wave test site, off the west coast of Orkney.
As part of the ongoing operational monitoring an issue was identified last week and following inspection it was confirmed that the device was taking on water.
The device has been closely monitored over the last few days, and remains attached to its moorings at Berth 5 however is no longer visible.
The situation is said to be monitored closely by Wello, EMEC and Green Marine, and the appropriate authorities have been informed.
The prototype was initially deployed at EMEC’s Billia Croo wave test site in 2012. The fourth and latest deployment of the WEC took place in March 2017 , and it recently passed the two-year milestone of continuous deployment.
Wello are about to launch a new upgraded Penguin WEC which will be installed at the Billia Croo test site in the coming months, and learning from this incident will feed into the design, operations and maintenance plans for the future, EMEC said.