EU gives thumbs up to 1-MW wave energy demo in Scotland

The EU has given formal go-ahead to a project that will demonstrate a 1-MW floating wave energy converter, it was announced today.

The OE35 converter, which is described as the world’s largest capacity floating wave energy device, has been developed by Irish company OceanEnergy, the project’s coordinator.

The WEDUSEA initiative is worth EUR 19.6 million (USD 21.6m) and is co-funded by the EU Horizon Europe Programme and Innovate UK. It involves 14 industry and academia partners from the UK, Ireland, France, Germany and Spain.

The floating wave energy converter will be demonstrated at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) wave energy test site in Orkney, Scotland.

The WEDUSEA project consists of three phases: initial design and construction of the device, a two-year demonstration phase at the EMEC site, and a final phase focused on commercialisation. Construction of the wave converter is starting in the second half of 2024, with the demonstration at EMEC expected to start in June 2025.

“The project will demonstrate that wave technology is on a cost reduction trajectory and will thus be a stepping stone to larger commercial array scale up and further industrialisation. We predict that the natural energy of the world’s oceans will one day supply much of the grid,” said Prof Tony Lewis, chief technical officer at OceanEnergy.

(EUR 1 = USD 1.104)

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