Wave power begins test preparation
The Pelamis P2 wave power device snakes its way to Orkney
The snake-like Pelamis P2 wave power device has arrived in Orkney, in readiness for its connection to the European Marine Test Centre (EMEC) site at Billia Croo.
The tow of the 1,300 tonne Pelamis machine (which at 180m is as long as the Gherkin building in London is tall) from Pelamis Wave Power’s facility in Leith Docks was completed by Delta Marine’s Voe Viking over a period of two days. The device will now be thoroughly inspected and prepared at Lyness in Hoy, ahead of connection to EMEC’s pre-placed mooring system and electrical cable.
It is yet another milestone for the burgeoning marine energy industry, as it will be the first time a P2 machine - designed and constructed by Pelamis Wave Power, is tested.
Energy company E.On says the P2 is capable of generating 750kW of renewable energy. ‘This period of testing will help us determine what we need to do to ensure that marine energy makes the transition from development to commercial deployment,’ says Amaan Lafayette, E.On's marine development manager.
The testing programme will increase in intensity every 12 months to examine the viability of the P2 wave energy convertor, which was officially launched by Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond in May.
The Pelamis Wave Energy Converter is a semi-submerged, articulated structure composed of cylindrical sections linked by hinged joints. The wave-induced motion of these joints is resisted by hydraulic rams, which pump high-pressure fluid through hydraulic motors via smoothing accumulators. The hydraulic motors drive electrical generators to produce electricity. Power from all the joints is fed down a single umbilical cable to a junction on the sea bed.
Several devices can be connected together and linked to shore through a single seabed cable. Current production machines are 180m long and 4m in diameter with four power conversion modules per machine.
The energy produced by Pelamis is dependent upon the conditions of the installation site. However, it’s thought that each machine can provide sufficient power to meet the annual electricity demand of approximately 500 homes.
Earlier this summer the P2 device was officially named Vagr Atfero (old Norse for wave power) by First Minister Alex Salmond. However, ‘the Snake’ is probably an acronym that will stick.
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