New wave energy device installed in Orkney

The latest wave energy device to be tested in Orkney waters has been installed in Scapa Flow.


Despite wintry weather, Swedish marine energy developer CorPower Ocean has successfully installed its new half-scale C3 wave energy converter in Orcadian waters.

The installation of CorPower Ocean's C3 wave energy device in Scapa Flow - image by Colin Keldie


The device was put in place at the European Marine Energy Centre's (EMEC) Scapa Flow scale test site by local contractor Green Marine (UK) Ltd. The C3 has been connected to a floating microgrid unit, provided by EMEC. It will allow the device to behave as if it was fully grid connected by absorbing power generated during testing and providing it to auxiliary systems.

It's another demonstration of the strength of the Orkney marine energy supply chain, with Green Marine (UK) Ltd's multicat vessel 'Green Isle' carrying out the operation.

The installation was carried out by Orkney based Green Marine (UK) Ltd - image by Colin Keldie


The C3's performance has already been proven during dry testing in Stockholm, with this ocean deployment now the next step in the development of the device. It's part of a five-stage process run by Wave Energy Scotland (WES) and ETIP Ocean, which includes testing of survivability, performance and reliability.

The device has been installed at the calm waters of EMEC's Scapa Flow scale testing site - image courtesy Green Marine (UK) Ltd


Patrik Möller, CEO at CorPower Ocean said: “We are very pleased to have the C3 installed at EMEC, marking a major milestone in our effort of providing reliable and competitive electricity generation from ocean waves. The compact lightweight design enables effective handling using low cost vessels, reducing operational costs. We are happy to announce a collaborative agreement with Green Marine where our teams will continue to work closely together to further improve our operations during the coming months of deployment.”

Neil Kermode, Managing Director at EMEC said: “Installing technologies into the harsh marine environment is not easy, requiring a great deal of planning, ingenuity, and collaboration. But I know the learning that will come from operating the technology in the sea will be invaluable to CorPower. The EMEC team will continue to work with CorPower to support the performance assessment of their technology and we look forward to seeing this innovative device succeed.”

The C3 in place at the test site - image courtesy CorPower Ocean


Jason Schofield, Managing Director at Green Marine said: “Green Marine has been working with CorPower for the past two years and to finally see all their hard work and careful planning materialise into a successful offshore installation of their device is a huge achievement for all involved. The offshore operations carried out were one of the slickest installation methods we have experienced to date, with both the CorPower and Green Marine teams working extremely well together."

Tim Hurst, Managing Director at Wave Energy Scotland said: “Wave Energy Scotland is delighted to see one of its first programme participants install a prototype ready for at-sea testing with EMEC. We are looking forward to evaluating the test results over the coming months and seeing how the WEC performs in Orkney’s waters.”

Installation work underway in Scapa Flow, Orkney - image by Colin Keldie


Find out more about Orkney's marine energy supply chain via the Orkney Marine Renewables website.

The Digital Orkney project has been part financed by the Scottish Government and the European Community Orkney LEADER 2014-2020 Programme.

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