Wave Energy Scotland (WES) is awarding contracts with a total value of £1.4 million to three innovation projects designed to support further investigation of promising structural materials and manufacturing concepts to be used in the construction of wave energy devices.
ARUP will evaluate new ways of using concrete, CorPower Ocean will lead a team to assess the viability of polyester/E-Glass and the final project, led by Tension Technology International, is researching new materials for flexible structures. Each of these projects will take place over the next 9 months.
Minister for energy, connectivity and the islands, Paul Wheelhouse, said: “With sustained Scottish Government support, WES continues to lead the development of new wave energy technologies with the funding of these three projects. The results from this research will help the wave energy sector grow and contribute to establishing a marine energy industry in Scotland.
“Scotland’s wave energy resource can make a valuable contribution to our renewable energy portfolio. Together with our supportive policy environment, skilled supply chain and expertise in energy innovation, Scotland is the ideal location for wave energy development and well placed to benefit from the enormous global market for marine energy.”
Tim Hurst, WES’s managing director, said: “These three projects represent the best of the ideas for materials and manufacturing processes that can be applied to wave energy converters. The projects will make a significant contribution to knowledge of materials best suited to manufacturing wave energy converters and will take the sector closer to developing a winning solution for wave energy.”