Wave energy to make big splash off Orkney

The deployment of two high-tech devices in the waters off Orkney this year will represent a major milestone in the programme to make Scotland’s wave energy industry commercially sustainable.

Development of a new and innovative industrial technology was always going to be a huge challenge, but the future of Scotland’s wave energy sector has never been brighter.

Two exciting prototype devices are all set to be put to the ultimate test off Orkney this year, representing a significant milestone for the industry. The programme is led by Wave Energy Scotland, a subsidiary of HIE established in 2014, to take forward wave energy development in Scotland. Demonstration of Mocean Energy’s Blue X unit and AWS Ocean’s Waveswing device will be the result of more than six years of innovation, development and testing, £41.6m Scottish Government investment, and the combined efforts of more than 230 organisations from 13 countries.

“The country is ready to fully capitalise on all that has been achieved in the wider wave sector and the specific opportunities now offered by Mocean and AWS,” says WES managing director Tim Hurst, who leads a team of 12 across offices in Inverness, Benbecula, Stornoway and Edinburgh.

“Deployment of these devices is the culmination of 96 different projects carried out since 2014 across five competitive workstreams. The watchwords from day one have been collaboration, cross-fertilisation and shared knowledge,” adds Tim.

TIME TO SHINE

The demonstration programme for the scaled devices is part of a long-term plan that includes deployment of nextgeneration units in 2023, multi-device arrays in 2024-25 and commercialisation on a utility scale in 2030. The focus throughout will be on performance and reliability. The timeline dovetails with welcome backing from the UK government. Its Contracts for Difference scheme, the main programme for supporting low carbon electricity generation, is expected to smooth the route to market for wave power. Deployment also coincides with this year’s upcoming COP26 climate conference in Glasgow and the acceleration of efforts to achieve net zero carbon emissions in Scotland by 2045 and in the wider UK by 2050. Next-generation renewable electricity generation including marine energy is expected to play a key role in the UK and globally in helping to keep global warming well below two degrees celsius. Other sectors are also interested in the technology, particularly oil and gas. Mocean will, for example, incorporate its Blue X technology into a subsea battery storage and remote underwater vehicle concept being developed by EC-OG for Chrysaor, supported by the Oil and Gas Technology Centre (OGTC). “Our test programme in Orkney will allow us to prove our concept at sea,” says Mocean managing director Cameron McNatt.

Cameron McNatt “This enables the development of commercial scale technologies suited to the oil and gas and other industries,” he adds. “It is a genuine opportunity to showcase the potential for renewable energy to power a subsea application.”

ECONOMIC RETURNS ACROSS SCOTLAND

Supply chains for the WES demonstration pair are 80% Scottish, which is a dramatic increase on rival renewable energy technologies including wind and solar power. And all involved in wave are adamant that the country should benefit in the long term from development of the sector.

“Wave energy works,” says Tim Hurst. “The wider energy industry has long wanted to see the technology proved and we are now at that point. It is clearer than ever that we have a big part to play in meeting Scotland’s net zero target in 2045.”

Towards that end, the ongoing test and demonstration programme is expected to provide the environment necessary to attract a heavy-hitting industrial partner – a crucial step in the journey to utility-scale deployment. And while wave remains a few years behind tidal power, as a sector it is optimistic of taking advantage of the trails already blazed. The rewards could be many times larger: the available resource is almost unlimited when compared with the much narrower range of sites suited to tidal devices.

PIONEERING APPROACH PAYS DIVIDENDS

WES drove the development programme from day one, evaluating the participants and their technologies – including materials, controls connections and the ability to harness power – on the basis of rigorous testing. Progress was built on intellectual property garnered at the outset from a number of wave sector pioneers and was focused on incorporating that first generation of learnings as part of the drive to reduce risks. Results since 2014 have been so positive that the European Commission is mirroring the approach through its own EuropeWave initiative, which supports the most promising wave energy ideas. Indeed, a recent independent evaluation of the WES model for HIE reinforced the success of WES to date. Audrey MacIver, HIE’s director of energy and low carbon welcomed the report: “WES brought stability to the sector and has promoted greater confidence in the technology. It has helped retain jobs and skills and Scotland’s tremendous prospects in indigenous wave energy development. Thanks to WES, we can now be confident and excited again for the opportunities wave energy can bring to our region and to Scotland.

Audrey is optimistic that the WES approach could be adopted by others. She says: “In driving forward technological innovation, the WES model could be transferred to other complex low carbon technology development, and indeed to other sectors too.”

“The Wave Energy Scotland programme has been a success, certainly, but more importantly this technology is a success,” says Tim. “A credible, viable wave sector is taking shape in Scotland. That is a world-first and it should be celebrated.”