Water power: a plan to install a huge electrical “socket” - called Wave Hub - on the seabed to create the world’s first large-scale wave farm off England is attracting global interest. UK-based Ocean Prospect intends to trial many of its snake-like Pelamis devices (pictured); the wave-induced motion drives generators to produce electricity.

　　A PLAN to test new wave-power devices off the coast of south-west England will create the world’s largest wave farm, establish the area as a global leader in the technology’s development and make the United Kingdom the location of choice for worldwide wave-energy companies.

　　The Wave Hub project - costing 28 million pounds and which is being promoted by the area’s regional development agency - seeks to establish the globe’s first large-scale wave-energy farm in a bid to pioneer an industry that would provide hundreds of jobs and generate many millions of pounds.

　　The initial development, now anticipating final UK government and European Union go-ahead, will produce power worth 76m pounds sterling over a 25-year period and involve at least 170 new jobs.

　　Wave Hub could be operational by the middle of 2008 and is expected to be capable of generating up to 20 megawatts (MW) of electricity, enough to meet the demands of 7,500 homes, saving 24,300 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year when displacing fossil fuels. This would support south-west England’s target of generating 15 per cent of the region’s power from renewable sources by 2010.

　　Already, 16 wave-device developers from Norway, Australia and the United States have shown interest in the Wave Hub and four of these companies have been chosen to deploy their own particular wave-energy converters on a scale not seen before anywhere in the world.

　　With the UK surrounded by what are described as “waves of power,” the initiative to boost this embryo form of renewable energy has been praised by experts in the field, describing it as a flagship project.

　　Earlier this year, European Union (EU) officials were briefed in Brussels by a delegation from the South-West Regional Development Agency (RDA), led by its planning, transport and environment director, Ms Claire Gibson. She told them: “Wave Hub is not just a first for Europe but for the world. We believe that it could be a model project for other EU member states as part of the drive to adopt a Europe-wide energy policy.”

　　Ms Maria McCaffery, chief executive officer of the British Wind Energy Association (BWEA), which also promotes wave and tidal power, said of Wave Hub: “This pioneering project is crucial for the success of wave-energy development, not just in the UK but around the world. It represents a strong signal of intent from the South-West RDA to help Britain retain its lead in this rapidly emerging and potentially huge, clean energy industry.”

　　Matthew Spencer, chief executive of Regen SW, the renewable energy agency for south-west England, added: “Wave Hub will help make the UK the location of choice for companies developing wave energy, and should see British and overseas businesses making long-term investments in Cornwall.”

　　Key to the potential success of the project is the research carried out to establish the best site for a pioneering Wave Hub and the provision of facilities to link arrays of wave machines with the national power grid ashore.

　　Initial studies showed that such a facility was technically feasible and - taking account of wave and tidal streams, shipping lanes, the fishing industry, leisure users, grid connectivity and the environment - an ideal location was identified on the seabed some 16km (10 miles) off the north coast of Cornwall near Hayle.

　　Recent data from a wave buoy located at the site has shown it has an average wave height of 2.3 metres and a maximum height of 8.8m. Hayle already has a direct connection to the UK national grid, with a total capacity of up to 30MW and would allow the Wave Hub machines to be connected to it by a 25km (15.5 miles) undersea high-voltage cable linked to a new electricity substation at Hayle.

　　Wave Hub will offer what is described as an electrical “socket” on the seabed and which will be able to accommodate at any one time four companies that are seeking to move into full-scale pre-commercialisation testing of life-size device arrays.

　　Developers will be given a five-year lease of a sea area of two square kilometres in which to test their devices over several years, and a sub-sea transformer will be provided with capacity to deliver up to 5MW of power into the distribution network. Groups of wave-energy devices will be connected to the Wave Hub socket and float on or just below the surface of the sea to assess how well they work and how much power they generate.

　　The South-West RDA last year named three companies as development partners in Wave Hub and earlier this year added a fourth developer to the list. Wave Hub project manager Nick Harrington said of the initial trio: “We have chosen three companies that are sufficiently advanced with their devices and have the resources to deliver their projects. All three have developed very different technologies and will form a core group with which we can move forward. There is still space on Wave Hub for other companies to join later.”

　　The companies are the UK-based Ocean Prospect, Ocean Power Technologies, the Fred Olsen shipping firm and the Australian-based Oceanlinx. Ocean Prospect - based in Bristol, western England - is a subsidiary of the Wind Prospect Group and intends to trial up to 10 Pelamis P750 devices developed by Ocean Power Delivery of Edinburgh, Scotland.

　　The Pelamis 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 that pump high-pressure oil through hydraulic motors to drive electrical generators and produce power.

　　Ocean Prospect director Colin Palmer said: “Wave Hub makes it economic for us to develop our first wave-energy project. Wave Hub has the potential to become a wave-energy showcase for the world.”

　　Ocean Power Technologies - based at Warwick, English Midlands - plans to install a 5MW project at Wave Hub based on its PowerBuoy wave-energy converter. The PowerBuoy is free floating and loosely moored to the seabed; its float moves up and down on the central spar as the waves pass.

　　This mechanical movement drives a hydraulic pump that forces hydraulic fluid through a rotary motor connected to an electrical generator. Chief executive Mark Draper said: “We are delighted we can now explore one of the world’s largest wave-energy resources.”

　　The Fred Olsen company has developed a multiple point-absorber system for energy extraction from the sea waves. A number of buoys, attached to a light and stable floating platform, convert the wave energy to electricity. A 1:3-scale research platform has been in operation and on test since 2004. Fred Olsen commented: “Establishment of the Wave Hub in Cornwall is an important milestone supporting developers to make wave energy a commercially attractive source of renewable energy.”

　　Oceanlinx will deploy a wave converter that combines the established science of the oscillating water column with its own patented turbine technology. A full-scale operational unit has been successfully built and tested in Australia. The firm is also pursuing similar projects in North America, Mexico, South Africa and Hawaii. Wave Hub will be Oceanlinx’s first installation in Europe. Chief executive Tom Engelsman said: “South-west England has one of the best wave climates in Europe. It is a very significant development for Oceanlinx.”

　　Studies suggest that the global wave-power potential could be from 8,000 to 80,000 terawatt hours a year, the latter of which is the same order of magnitude as the world’s electrical energy consumption. More detailed regional studies suggest that the accessible resource in waters around the UK could be as much as 700 terawatt hours a year, almost double the country’s electricity consumption. More than 40 sites around the UK have been listed as suitable for tidal stream generation.

　　Contact: South-West England Regional Development Agency

　　Corporate Headquarters, Sterling House, Dix’s Field, Exeter, Devon, United Kingdom, EX1 1QA

　　Phone: +44 1392 214747

　　Fax: +44 1392 214848 Web: www.southwestrda.org.uk

　　(Source: British Consulate-General in Chongqing)