Wave machine to power homes

Peter Jones

A hydroelectric wave-energy machine called the Oyster, which could revolutionise energy production in Scotland, was yesterday switched on to the National Grid by Alex Salmond, the First Minister.
The Oyster is already billed as the biggest machine of its type in the world, but following a series of tests at the European Marine Energy Centre, near Stromness, engineers hope that it will be the precursor of even larger, linked sets of machines, capable of delivering 2MW of power — enough to provide energy for about 1400 homes — by 2011.
Announcing £975,000 of Scottish Enterprise funding for the venture, Mr Salmond said that through such investments, the Scottish government was working to meet climate change targets and create green jobs. The Oyster, he said, was a milestone in renewable energy policy.
The machine was developed by Edinburgh-based Aquamarine Power, resulting from research at Queen’s University, Belfast. The company’s chief executive, Martin McAdam, said: “We have proved that wave energy can produce sustainable, zero-emission electricity.”

Scottish Enterprise has already invested heavily in the company, providing £2.4 million of £10 million raised to get the technology to this stage.
The Oyster floats close to the shore where waves drive pistons sending water at high pressure to an onshore hydro-electric turbine.
Aquamarine Power has already signed an agreement with Airtricity, a Scottish and Southern Energy subsidiary, to develop up to 1000MW of wave farms by 2020.