Marine energy developers AW-Energy and Ocean Power Technologies are moving ahead with demonstration projects in Portugal and Japan, respectively.

Finnish company AW-Energy has received €3 million in funding from the European Union to demonstrate its WaveRoller technology off the coast of Peniche in Portugal.

The 300 kW WaveRoller device consists of an oscillating fiberglass/steel plate attached to the sea floor, which creates hydraulic pressures as it moves back and forth under the action of waves to drive a turbine.

A consortium of companies from Finland, Portugal, Germany and Belgium led by AW-Energy will undertake the year-long trial.
“We are thrilled about this real pan-European co-operation,” says

AW-Energy CEO John Liljelund. “We have the site, grid connection permission, installation license and the technology ready for the demonstration phase.”

Meanwhile, UK company Ocean Power Technologies has signed a deal with three Japanese firms for a demonstration of its wave power technology in Japan.

The first stage of the project will see the company work with its partners, Idemitsu Kosan, Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding and Japan Wind Development, to identify potential sites for a wave power station. The consortium then plans to construct a demonstration plant with three of Ocean Power Technologies’ PowerBuoys®.

If successful, the demonstration project could lead to the building of a commercial-scale wave power station of 10 MW capacity.

“We are delighted to be working with three of Japan’s leading companies in forging a new way forward for wave energy in Japan,” says Ocean Power Technologies executive chairman George W. Taylor.

Japan’s new Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has outlined intentions to increase the country’s renewable resources 10% by 2020 and with a coastline as long as Canada’s, marine power could be a prime contenter.

In the UK, Peel Energy and the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) are moving ahead with a feasibility study of tidal power schemes for the Mersey Estuary in the north west.

For further information:
www.oceanpowertechnologies.com
www.aw-energy.com
www.peelenergy.co.uk/

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France launches tidal power trial (16-Jul 2008)