Wave energy plant secures H2020 funds
Aquamarine Power and the National University of Ireland, Maynooth (NUIM) have together secured an €800,000 Horizon 2020 grant to improve the performance of the SME’s Oyster wave energy converter.
The venture, entitled ‘Maximising the technical and economic performance of real wave energy devices’, or INNOWAVE, is set to begin in March 2016 and will draw funding from the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Networks European Industrial Doctorates scheme.
The venture will enable three PhD researchers to explore ways to optimise the energy capture and economic performance of Oyster. As part of the four-year programme, each researcher will split their time between Aquamarine Power and NUIM’s Centre for Ocean Energy Research. The company has already built and operated two full-scale Oyster machines at the European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney.
Commenting on the award, Aquamarine Power chief executive officer Paddy O’Kane said: “With the survivability and performance potential of our Oyster wave technology now largely proven following four years of continuous deployment at the European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney, we are significantly advanced towards that goal. This collaboration with NUIM will now help us focus on driving down costs and further improving performance.
“We very much look forward to working with them on this exciting new research programme with very clear academic and commercial goals – to significantly advance the efficiency and economic performance of future Oyster wave farm power stations.”
The three PhD researchers will focus on two projects, the first looking at all aspects of Oyster design from an economic perspective, measured over the lifetime of a wave energy project. The second will assess the development and implementation of control systems applicable to shore-based and offshore power take off systems.
Professor John Ringwood of Maynooth University described the project as “a great example of academia and industry collaborating to progress research which can have a monumental impact energy provision for future generations”.
