CleanTechnica is the #1 cleantech-focused
website in the world. Subscribe today!


Clean Power Photo courtesy: Pelamis Wave Power

Published on May 11th, 2012 | by Andrew

8

European Power, Renewable Energy and Engineering Leaders Join to Develop Wave Energy, Tidal Stream Power

Share on Google+Share on RedditShare on StumbleUponTweet about this on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on FacebookPin on PinterestDigg thisShare on TumblrBuffer this pageEmail this to someone

May 11th, 2012 by  

Photo courtesy: Pelamis Wave Power

European utilities are deepening their involvement in the development of renewable marine energy resources, a sign that wave, tidal and other renewable ocean energy technology may be poised to come of age. Vattenfall, Europe’s sixth-largest power utility, Spanish multinational renewable energy developer Abengoa, and UK-based international engineering firm Babcock have joined to form Nautimus, a Scottish company that will provide engineering, procurement, integration and construction (EPC) services for utilities’ wave power and tidal stream projects.

Nautimus’ genesis is the result of the three partners perceiving a need to bring together under one organization’s umbrella all the technology, engineering and power market experience required to take renewable wave power and tidal stream technology and projects from prototype and pilot stages through to full-scale commercialization.

“The partnership has been established to address the absence of EPC services players in the ocean energy sector capable of handling the wide ranging challenges associated with constructing projects with new technology offshore. This gap, if unfilled, would pose a significant problem for the sector if, as expected, ocean energy schemes are deployed in increasing numbers before 2020,” the partners explained in a press release.

Bringing Renewable Wave Energy, Tidal Power to the Grid

Nautimus’s first project is likely to be Vattenfall’s 10-MW Aegir wave power farm. Vattenfall is working with Pelamis Wave Power (PWP) on the project. Construction could be begin in 2016 off Scotland’s Shetland Island if required government consents are received. Announced in March, Aegir is Vattenfall’s second wave power venture in the waters off Scotland’s Orkney Islands.

To develop Aegir, Vattenfall and Pelamis formed the Aegir Wave Power joint venture, the goal of which is to build a wave energy farm based on 11 Pelamis wave energy converters with a total rated capacity of 10 MW, sufficient to power some 8,500 households, according to Vattenfall.

Aegir Wave Farm has secured a test site with the Orkney-based European Marine Energy Center (EMEC). Aegir’s goal is to have a pilot test version of Pelamis’s wave converter up and running in 2014.

Scotland’s government has determinedly, and successfully, pursued the goal of establishing the UK autonomous region as the world’s premier center for the development of ocean energy technology. Scottish Energy Minister Fergus Ewing applauded the creation of Nautimus.

“I welcome the news of the establishment of Nautimus, the first engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services company dedicated to supporting the development and deployment of wave and tidal energy projects. This is further evidence of the momentum building behind the marine renewables industry as it makes strides towards commercialization and the economic potential that this sector offers to supply chain companies.”

Abengoa’s general manager of Seapower Javier Camacho believes Nautimus can play a key role in replicating the success the company’s had in the concentrating solar power field in ocean wave and tidal stream energy technology.

“In our concentrating solar power business we went from prototypes to large commercial projects adding more than 1.5 gigawatts in less than a decade. We see that wave energy could be poised for the same transformation, which is why we have established the seapower division and we are working through Nautimus. There is no time to lose if ocean energy is to become a commercial reality.”

Keep up to date with all the hottest cleantech news by subscribing to our (free) cleantech newsletter, or keep an eye on sector-specific news by getting our (also free) solar energy newsletter, electric vehicle newsletter, or wind energy newsletter.



Share on Google+Share on RedditShare on StumbleUponTweet about this on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on FacebookPin on PinterestDigg thisShare on TumblrBuffer this pageEmail this to someone

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,


About the Author

I've been reporting and writing on a wide range of topics at the nexus of economics, technology, ecology/environment and society for some five years now. Whether in Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Americas, Africa or the Middle East, issues related to these broad topical areas pose tremendous opportunities, as well as challenges, and define the quality of our lives, as well as our relationship to the natural environment.


Related Posts



  • Gary Joseph Young

    Please someone listen to me. I have designed several methods to run large generators using ocean tidal movements. I have also designed ocean and river turbines that can also run large generators. I have designed much more efficient wind generators. These designs can generate enough energy to handle not only our need right now but also our future needs. We need efficient high speed electric trains, we can do that no problem. Easy to design that, others have already designed them but I can make those designs more efficient as well. With efficient electric trains there will be no need for commercial inter-continental airplanes. The same electric technology can also put shuttles in space for both commercial flights and space exploration. With enough energy we will be able to control even out weather. The projects that are presently developing will only generate small amounts of electricity in comparison with the technology I have designed. Our Canadian government is planning to develop the tar sands, they say it can be developed cleanly. That not the case. Please listen to me and take a little time to email me and I’m sure you will understand I am right.

    Thank your for reading this.
    Gary

    • Bob_Wallace

      Gary, perhaps you have.

      But here’s the problem you’re up against. Many people have made the same sort of claims. And often they’ve got something wrong. You’re familiar with the story of the boy who cried wolf? There’s been a lot of erroneous “wolf-crying”/making big claims and requests like yours are generally ignored.

      Here’s what I would suggest. Spend some time thinking about your ideas and pick out the one that you think is the most likely to be correct and is the easiest to understand and explain. Concentrate on that one idea for a while.

      Make detailed drawings. Build models. Build a prototype. Test it out. Collect data. Work out the math, down to the details as much as you can. Work out costs.

      Put together a single cover page with a drawing, simple explanation and a few select important details. Then put the rest of your work into the best presentation you can.

      Now take those few pages to a college or university engineering department and ask in the chairperson’s office to be steered to someone who has the patience to listen to novel ideas.

      Let them look at your idea. Let them ask you question. Listen carefully to what they say.

      Do not attempt to argue them into agreeing with you. Your task is to gather feedback and learn from it.

      If they tell you there is a fatal flaw then take that information back, study it, and make sure you thoroughly understand their point, even if you think them wrong.

      If they don’t agree that you have a good idea it’s likely either 1) you made a mistake or 2) you didn’t do an adequate job with your presentation. If you’re sure it was your presentation then work up a new one and try someone else.

      Good luck. You might be the next Elon Musk. But also realize that you might have a mistake in your thinking. It happens.

  • Cosma vasile

    Now is only available summary.
    Summary and drawing for patent “Dynamic Engine” is on page 28.
    http://www.osim.ro/publicatii/brevete/bopi_1994/bopi0994.pdf

  • Cosma

    Did you know that Romania has a technical solution with the highest efficiency to capture wave power?.
    Patent 108893 entitled Dynamic Engine for Sea Wave Energy Catching. A pioneering invention. It is estimated that “dynamic engine” has the ability to catching wave energy at a rate of over 80% while the other technical solutions known worldwide, are not able to capture wave energy with a higher percentage of about 10-15%.
    Cosma Vasile. Romania. Email cosma.vasile@yahoo.com

    • Bob_Wallace

      Patents are easy.

      Proof is not.

      Is there one of these puppies up and running?

    • cosma vasile

      Some information for patent “Dynamic Engine” can be found on:
      – Ocean energy: Wave energy | Climate TechWiki
      – “First Wave Energy Device Connected to Power Grid | Science”

  • Captivation

    It drives me crazy that these countries aren’t being given instant renumeration for their efforts.

    Renewable countries should be given the highest status in trade negotiations. All other countries should be placed in tiers that impose increasing penalties depending on their willingness to pollute.

    • http://cleantechnica.com/ Zachary Shahan

      I’m with you :D

Back to Top ↑

© 2014   Sustainable Enterprises Media, Inc.



Back to Top ↑