Site Activity
Billia Croo Wave Test Site
In August 2004, Pelamis Wave Power (PWP) installed their "Pelamis 750" device on site for full scale testing. The resultant successful generation of electricity to the National Grid was a world's first and one that EMEC is proud to have assisted with.
During 2005 AW Energy from Finland undertook stand alone mechanical testing in the shallower waters at the test site.
Aquamarine Power Ltd are in the process of installing their second Oyster wave energy device, which will be followed by two further Oyster devices in 2012 and 2013 as part of a small array. Each Oyster 800 machine will have a generating capacity of 800kW and will measure 26 metres wide by 16 metres high.
E.ON have deployed the first Pelamis P2 device. The second generation 750kW device -built by Pelamis Wave Power - arrived in Orkney in July 2010 and is undertaking a planned work-up programme of testing. The machine sits at Lyness when not on the wave test site, readied for redeployment in suitable weather windows.
ScottishPower Renewables will be deploying a second Pelamis P2 device on an adjacent berth in 2012. This second machine arrived in Orkney in November 2011 and is also at Lyness while berth preparation works continue.
Finnish company Wello Oy will also deploy their Penguin device in early 2012. The Penguin is designed to capture rotational energy generated by the movement of its asymmetrically shaped hull. Constructed in Riga, Latvia, the device arrived in Orkney in June 2011. Approximately 30m in length, the 1600 tonne device is expected to produce between 0.5-1MW of power.
Seatricity have commenced fabrication of their system at their base in Stromness for deployment in 2012. The Seatricity concept involves multiple floats travelling up and down with the waves, operating pumps to pressurize sea water which is piped ashore to drive a standard hydroelectric turbine to produce up to 1MW of electricity.
Further infrastructure works continue at Billia Croo. Providing a laydown area for future developers to use. Other site works, which have completed, include an upgrade to the Black Craig lookout point, which will include the facilities for stationed wildlife observers. These trained observers and a high spec camera will provide essential baseline data for the wave test site (see research section for further details).
EMEC continues to maintain the accreditation as a measurement laboratory with the UK Accreditation Service (UKAS) for measurement of wave and tidal energy conversion systems, electrical energy output (as voltage and current). The accreditation is against the international standard ISO 17025:2005 and is the backbone of our performance assessment capabilities.
Fall of Warness Tidal Test Site
The test site was officially opened by Scotland's First Minister in September 2007.
The first developer to use the site is Dublin based OpenHydro, who began the installation of their 250kW open centred turbine in 2006. Full testing is now underway, with their device becoming the first to be grid connected in Scotland and subsequently the first to successfully generate electricity to the National Grid in the UK. OpenHydro also placed a blank, non-grid connected turbine on the seabed adjoining their installed device, using the specially commissioned "OpenHydro Installer" in Summer 2008.
Tidal Generation Ltd successfully deployed and connected a 500kW tidal turbine and began generating in September 2010. TGL is also developing its next generation 1MW tidal stream turbine, which will replace the current turbine at EMEC in a project partnership with the Energy Technologies Institute (ETI).
Atlantis Resources Corporation successfully redeployed its AR1000 tidal turbine on its subsea berth in Summer 2011 after initial trials in August 2010. The 1MW turbine has an 18 meter rotor diameter, weighs 1300 tonnes and stands at a height of 22.5 meters. The project is now in the commissioning phase.
Hammerfest Strom UK Ltd installed their HS1000 tidal energy converter in December 2011. Under sections 105 – 114 of the Energy Act 2004 Hammerfest Strom UK is required to submit a decommissioning programme to the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC). Part of this process involves consultation on a draft decommissioning programme with key stakeholders and the public. Responses received through this consultation process will inform the final Decommissioning Programme. The Draft Decommissioning Programme Consultation Document, which is available for public comment, is available to download here. The consultation period of 30 days will commence on Monday 16th January 2012 and end on Tuesday 14th February 2012. Please send any comments to Clark.Jamieson@hammerfeststrom.co.uk.
Voith Hydro and RWE Innogy commenced preparatory works in Summer 2011 by installing the monopile for their 1MW tidal turbine which will be brought in 2012 through the joint venture company Voith Hydro Ocean Current Technologies.
Scotrenewables deployed the SR250 device at the test site for the first time in March 2011. The floating tidal energy converter is currently at Hatston pier in Kirkwall prior to commencing a full testing regime.
Kawasaki Heavy Industries has also signed a contract to test a new tidal turbine technology at EMEC using its expertise in engines, marine propulsion and gas turbines systems to develop a tidal power generation system.
Bluewater Energy Services are the most recent company to secure a berth on EMEC’s tidal test site. The Dutch offshore energy company is constructing a full-scale demonstration unit of its floating Tidal Energy Converter, BlueTEC.
The SCADA system is now almost complete and this will enable developers to access their devices and the site data remotely via broadband. EMEC are also continuously undertaking ADCP deployments at the site for each developer’s specific locations, as well as a variety of ROV surveys.
The wildlife observations (see research section) at the test site which have been underway since June 2005 are continuing to provide essential baseline environmental data. Further baseline data gathering projects are planned to commence soon.
UKAS accreditation was obtained for the tidal site in January 2009 (see wave site above).
Funding from the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) enabled the expansion of both test sites, with one new cable at the wave site and two new cables at the tidal site successfully installed in Summer 2010. New and replacement cable ends were also installed to enhance the range of our electrical testing capabilities across all the cables.
Part of the DECC funding worth £8 million, will also support the creation of nursery sites. These will allow developers to trial smaller scale marine energy devices – as well as full size prototypes – in less challenging sea conditions than those experienced at EMEC’s main test sites (click here for the news story).