OYSTER® SYSTEM DELIVERS COMMERCIALLY VIABLE ELECTRICITY FOR THE FIRST TIME
27 Apr 2009
Aquamarine Power (“Aquamarine” or the “Company”) one of the world’s leading wave energy companies today announces the successful test results from its Oyster® wave energy converter (“Oyster®”). The device has now produced and exported electricity to the grid at the New and Renewable Energy Centre (“NaREC”) near Newcastle, for the first time.
By producing electricity onshore on a full scale test rig, Aquamarine has proven that Oyster® can deliver electricity on a commercial scale. The output from a single pumping cylinder delivered over 170kW of electricity proving that a full scale device, with two pumping cylinders, will deliver well in excess of the modeled output of 350kW.
Oyster® is unique in that it starts generating electricity in almost calm sea conditions and can continue generating even in the worst of storms, making large scale commercial success more achievable for Aquamarine than for many of its competitors.
NaREC is a leading research and development testing platform for new, sustainable and renewable energy technologies. Oyster® is put through a rigorous testing process which simulates a variety of sea conditions. The tests ensure the viability of the technology and reliability and robustness of all components.
Testing commenced at NaREC in March this year and will continue until the end of April during which time Aquamarine is optimising the system settings, testing different components in terms of performance and fatigue and obtaining operational experience whilst importantly producing predicted quantities of electricity. The test rig is driven by a hydraulic power pack hired from Pelamis Wave Power. The hydraulic rams drive the Oyster cylinder to produce high pressure water which is fed into a Pelton wheel that is connected to a generator to produce electricity.
Installation of the full scale machine at the European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney is scheduled for this summer. Aquamarine already has an agreement with Airtricity, the renewable energy division of Scottish and Southern Energy to develop sites capable of hosting 1,000MW of marine energy by 2020 suitable for deployment of Oyster®.
Martin McAdam, Chief Executive of Aquamarine commented: “Oyster® is revolutionary in its field and what we are seeing is total proof that it can deliver commercially viable electricity. I am very proud of the team at Aquamarine, who have worked incredibly hard to deliver this result.
“We have always had total confidence in Oyster® and I am exceptionally happy that this achievement will allow us to take the next step in its deployment, a ground-breaking development in the UK. Aquamarine is forging ahead in order to deliver our mission to make marine renewable energy mainstream.
These tests prove that we can have a single machine delivering up to a half a megawatt of power and that a farm of these machines can deliver utility scale power in the order of hundreds of megawatts.”
McAdam added, “The successful production of power is a testament to all involved in the renewable energy industry. Making this happen involved an array of companies and partners including Frazer Nash who designed the rig, Howco who built it, Pelamis who hired out one of their hydraulic power packs and NaREC who hosted the test. If the UK or Scotland wants a marine industry, we have proven that the companies and people are there to deliver it. This is the birth of an industry.”
Ends
For further information, contact:
Buchanan Communications
Diane Stewart
dianes@buchanan.uk.com
Carrie Clement
carriec@buchanan.uk.com
Or visit www.aquamarinepower.com
Notes to Editors:
Aquamarine Power Ltd
• Aquamarine Power will be exhibiting at the All Energy Show in Aberdeen on the 20th and 21st of May 2009.
• Aquamarine Power is the world leading wave energy technology developer. Aquamarine Power’s site development team has identified the best marine energy sites in the UK, Ireland, Europe and beyond and will take the most promising site from concept to consent.
• Aquamarine Power has secured a test berth at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney and Oyster® will be deployed at full scale in the summer of 2009.
• Aquamarine Power was founded in 2005 by leading marine energy developer, Allan Thomson, and Professor Trevor Whittaker, head of the award-winning wave power research group at Queen’s University Belfast.
• Aquamarine Power’s senior management team includes CEO, Martin McAdam, who founded Airtricity’s US operations, recently sold for €1.2 billion, and COO, Matthias Haag, former General Manager at Shell WindEnergy.
• Oyster® has been designed to capture the energy found in amplified surge forces in near-shore waves. The system consists of a simple oscillating wave surge converter, or pump, fitted with double acting water pistons, deployed near-shore in depths of between 8 and 16 metres. Each passing wave activates the pump which delivers high pressure water via a sub-sea pipeline to the shore. Onshore, the high-pressure water is converted to electrical power using conventional hydro-electric generators.
• In October 2007 Aquamarine Power joined forces with Scottish and Southern Energy’s subsidiary, Renewable Technology Ventures Ltd (RTVL), securing a £6.3m investment from SSE and a further £1.5m from Sigma Capital Group plc.
• Aquamarine Power has received significant funding and support from Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, the Technology Strategy Board, the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the Scottish Government.
• Aquamarine Power recently featured in leading environmental business website Greenbang’s UK Clean Tech Start-Up Index of 23 top UK new businesses in the clean technology sector. More details at www.greenbang.com.
• Aquamarine Power was named ‘Emerging Technology Promoter of the Year’ at the Global Renewable Energy Awards 2008. More details at http://www.euromoneyenergy.com/default.asp?Page=11&eventid=ECK50.
