The Scottish Government has granted marine energy specialists Aquamarine Power a licence to build and run a 40MW wave farm off the North West coast of Scotland. When the site is complete, it will be the largest ocean energy site in the world, accommodating up to 50 Oyster wave power devices generating up to 40MW of clean energy.

The Oyster devices will be installed in water depths of 10 to 15m, along the Scottish coast at Lag na Greine near Lewis. When fully operational, they will have the capacity to power almost 30,000 homes in the area, provided that local transmission company SSE installs the required infrastructure to the wave farm.

Local businesses and environmental groups have welcomed the news that the project will go ahead. As well as the economic and ecological benefits associated with the wave farm, its construction will further establish Scotland as a world leader in marine energy development.

Wilding says: ‘As the Scottish Energy Minister pointed out when announcing that consent had been granted, Scotland has 10% of Europe’s total wave power potential and 25% of its offshore wind and tidal potential. The new wave farm at Lewis is another step towards making the most of this potential through innovative new technologies and ongoing investment.’

Source: Resource