Aquamarine Power
Established in 2005, Edinburgh-based Aquamarine Power developed the Oyster wave power technology to capture energy found in near-shore waves.
The Oyster concept was an oscillating wave surge converter: a buoyant, hinged flap attached to the seabed at around ten metres depth, around half a kilometre from shore. This flap, which was almost entirely underwater, moved backwards and forwards in the near-shore waves. The movement of the flap drove two hydraulic pistons which pushed high pressure water onshore to drive a conventional hydroelectric turbine.
Aquamarine Power deployed and tested two Oyster wave energy devices at EMEC’s Billia Croo wave energy test site.
Oyster 1
Aquamarine Power’s 315 kW Oyster 1 device was tested from 2019-2012.
Oyster 800
The 800 kW Oyster 800 was grid-connected in June 2012 and tested until 2015.
The test programme ended in 2015 when the company went into administration and ceased trading. Wave Energy Scotland (WES) acquired the intellectual property of the company. Knowledge capture and lessons learnt have been published on the WES Knowledge Capture Library and shared with wave energy technologies that have followed in Aquamarine Power’s wake.
Aquamarine Power reported spending in excess of £3 million in Orkney and working with over 40 local businesses.
