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Marine energy generator specialist Aquamarine Power has announced that it intends to focus only on its wave energy technology and cease work on its tidal generation technology.

The move is intended to help accelerate the company’s development of its Oyster Wave Energy Converter and produce a commercial system in the shortest possible timeframe, says chief executive Martin McAdam.

Oyster consists of an oscillating flap or pump, fitted with double acting water pistons, which are activated by passing waves. The system pumps high pressure water along a pipeline to the shore, where it is used to drive conventional hydro-electric generators.

The advantage of Oyster is that while is designed to be deployed in water 8-16 m deep and harness the action of waves all the actual energy generating equipment is onshore.

“Aquamarine’s mission is ‘Making Renewable Energy Mainstream’ and we believe that Oyster with its ingenious yet simple design has the ability to achieve this,” says McAdam. “The decision to stop any further work on Neptune is the right decision for us.”

Aquamarine says it has agreement in place with marine engineers Fugro Seacore to start installation of the Oyster system at the European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney in Scotland this summer.

Each Oyster device has a peak capacity of 300-600 kW but is designed to be deployed in multiple arrays.

The company is also working with Airtricity, the renewable energy division of Scottish and Southern Energy, on developing sites capable of generating up to 1000 MW of marine energy by 2020.

For further information:
www.aquamarinepower.com
www.emec.org.uk/