Swedish wave energy developer Waves4Power is looking to create a wave energy park off the Isles of Scilly, UK media reports.
Waves4Power is considering getting onboard the Smart Islands project to develop a full-scale wave energy park that would help the isles meet its electricity needs and renewable energy ambitions, Business Cornwall reports.
The Smart Islands project on the Isles of Scilly aims to meet 40% of the isles’ energy demand through renewable generation by 2025, and cut 40% of electricity costs by that time.
Waves4Power has developed and tested the WaveEL wave energy device, which has been connected and feeding power to the Norwegian energy grid since June, 2017, from the Runde test site.
“Our grid-connected buoy has been generating electricity for more than five months and is a huge step forward for wave and marine energy. It shows that wave power is becoming a commercial reality.
“The Smart Islands project on the Isles of Scilly is an opportunity for Cornwall and Scilly to have a full-scale wave park and become among the greenest islands in the world, and we very much hope to be part of that, ” Peter Child , Cornwall-based UK representative for Waves4Power, was quoted as saying by Business Cornwall.
WaveEL device produces electricity using hydraulic pump which is connected to the accumulator that feeds a hydraulic motor with a generator, which in turn converts the hydraulic pressure to electric power.
Waves4Power is working on the development of the next-gen device with the aim of halving the levelized cost of energy (LOCE), while at the same time producing a more robust system.
The production site for the next-gen device is planned at the former shipyard at Fiskåholmen in the municipality of Vanylven on the Norwegian west coast, with the first roll-outs expected in 2018.