Plans for a 40-unit, 4 MW wave energy project in Scotland have moved forward with the official start-up of a new Wavegen turbine on the island of Islay.
The 100 kW turbine is the prototype unit for the proposed Siadar Wave Energy Project (SWEP) on the isle of Lewis. It was officially started by Jim Mather, Scottish government minister for enterprise, energy and tourism, at Wavegen’s Limpet facility.
“The Scottish government is determined to help make Scotland a world leader in the development and deployment of wave and tidal technologies,” said Mather. “This advanced renewables project is more evidence that wave energy will bring real results and benefits for businesses in Scotland as we move towards cleaner energy sources.”
SWEP is being developed by npower renewables and Voith Siemens Hydro, Wavegen’s parent company. It will harness power from the Atlantic waves in Siadar Bay, Lewis, to generate up to 4 MW of electricity, using 40 Wavegen 100 kW turbines.
If the Scottish government gives SWEP the go-ahead, construction could start in 2009 and the project would take 18 months to complete.
Kevin McCullough, Chief Operating Officer of RWE’s renewable energy unit RWE Innogy said: “This is a significant step forward in realising our ambitions of developing the SWEP at Siadar. It is a great opportunity to see the technology in action and optimise its performance before it’s used commercially.”
