Scotland searches for wave energy

Wave Energy Scotland (WES), a state-backed research and development unit, has opened for business with a £7m ($10.45m) international innovation competition for power take-off (PTO) systems.

Partnering Edinburgh University, the Carbon Trust, and the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult, the programme is looking to boost wave energy technology in the country with a goal of producing renewable energy in Scotland at a cost of no more than £150 per megawatt hour (MWh). Successful projects will be eligible for contracts worth between £100,000 and £4m, depending on how developed the technology is.

The programme is the first of five WES plans to run over the coming year, and looks to capitalise early on recent assessments estimating that the wave energy market could generate up to 130 gigawatts globally by 2050 with much of the activity happening in markets with strong subsidies for renewable energy, such as UK and Europe. PTO systems represent around 25% of the cost for a wave energy machine, and expansion in wave energy could generate a multi-billion dollar market for PTOs.

Tim Hurst, interim director at Wave Energy Scotland, said: “Wave Energy Scotland will take a fresh approach to resolving the issues which so often hamper the early stages of developing innovative technology. It is an exciting time for the wave energy sector in Scotland and WES offers a great opportunity to draw on the expertise which exists in industry and academia across the country. Wave Energy Scotland is now open for business and we encourage anyone with a best in class solution for PTO systems to submit their ideas.”