Scotland moved a step closer to a greener future today following Government approval of the nation’s first nearshore commercial wave power array, which will power more than 1,000 homes.
Two new
Oyster wave energy converters will be added to an existing device at the
European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) at Billia Croo,
Orkney, to allow operators
Aquamarine Power to test the devices as an array.
Each of the machines has a capacity of 800 kilowatts, bringing the total capacity of the array to 2.4 megawatts.
Although the machines are demonstrators, the array will be the first nearshore wave array in Scotland to be connected to the National Grid, and will supply enough electricity to power more than 1,000 homes.
Scotland's Energy Minster Fergus Ewing said: "I am delighted to grant consent to these two new Oyster devices, the first nearshore wave array in Scotland to feed in to the National Grid.
"This array will supply more than 1,000 homes with clean energy, and should the demonstrator be successful the technology being developed here will power hundreds of thousands more homes in future.
"Scotland has unparalleled natural resources, with a 10th of Europe’s wave power, and these new devices will help us to fully harness the huge energy resources around our own coast and contribute to global efforts to expand clean, green electricity generation.
"Scotland is in the midst of a
renewables revolution, and it is
innovation and creativity such as that behind the Oyster device, which will help us meet our ambitious renewable electricity targets and help us reindustrialise Scotland."
Commenting on the announcement Dr Dan Barlow head of Policy of WWF Scotland said: "Consent for Scotland's first wave energy array that will feed into the grid is an exciting step forward towards realising our huge marine energy potential.
"Scotland is well ahead of the game in developing wave power and this technology has the potential to be of global significance in our efforts to tackle climate change and offers huge export benefits too.
"Alongside energy saving measures, marine renewables will have a critical role to play in helping reduce climate emissions as we phase out polluting fossil fuels and nuclear power.
"With careful planning we can harness Scotland's wave and tidal energy to help cut our climate emissions, while safeguarding the nation's tremendous marine environment."
The application has been granted subject to the implementation of a suitable Environmental Monitoring and Mitigation Plan to ensure suitable measures are taken to protect the environment.
Like this story? Please subscribe to our free weekly e-newsletter at the top of the page for more content like this.
Related content:
