AWS Wave Energy Converter arrives in Orkney for EMEC demo

A new wave energy converter, 16KW Archimedes Waveswing, developed by Inverness-based AWS Ocean Energy, has arrived in Orkney ahead of its imminent deployment at the European Marina Energy Centre (EMEC).

The arrival was at Hatston Pier, Kirkwall on Tuesday evening, 25 January 2022, before being transferred to Copland’s Dock in Stromness where it will be prepared for deployment at EMEC’S Scapa Flow test site in February.

With 50 tons, the seven-metre high and four-metre diameter device made a journey to Orkney by ferry following a period of dry testing undertaken by the AWS engineering team at Muir of Ord.

The Waveswing is formed to react to long ocean swell waves as well as short, wind-driven for high energy capture. When deployed, the Archimedes Waveswing is moored to the seabed and sits below the surface of the sea, reacting to changes in pressure caused by passing waves.

The £3.4 million prototype project has been funded by Wave Energy Scotland (WES) as part of the Nobel Wave Energy Converter development programme. The demonstration at EMEC has its support from the Interreg North-West Europe’s Ocean Demo project.

Simon Grey, CEO OF AWS Ocean Energy said:

“This another major step forward in the development programme, underlining our confidence that the Waveswing really is the best prospect for practical, affordable wave power. The whole team at AWS is looking forward to getting our at-sea testing programme underway at EMEC.”

Grey also said that the Waveswing it’s genuinely “scalable and practical” to integrate into a multi-absorber platform. According to him achieving power outputs comparable with offshore wind units is critical to driving down the cost of energy and ensuring that operation and maintenance is practicable in the hostile marine environment.

Tim Hurst, Managing Director of WES said:

“The sea trials of the AWS Waveswing device represent the culmination of Wave Energy Scotland’s Novel Wave Energy Converter Programme. The design offers a number of attractive innovations for a commercial market, and we are excited that these will soon be demonstrated in a real sea environment.”

Neil Kermode, Managing Director, EMEC said:

“We’re delighted to welcome AWS and the Archimedes Waveswing to Orkney and support its deployment and testing at our site in Scapa Flow. Real seal deployment is a vital step in proving performance,reliability and survivability of these devices.”

He added: “We know that prototype testing at sea is really valuable to technology developers to check how a technology and its components work and react in the environment prior to scaling up. We are looking forward to helping the team as they prove how to install, operate and maintain their exciting machine in Orkney’s harsh conditions.”

AWS Partners

Waveswing development programme has its support by a Scottish team of subcontractors including 4c Engineering and Quoceant on design, Sequentec on supply of the control system, Malin Marine for the main build and assembly work, and JGC Engineering for fabrication of the anchor frame. International subcontractors include Trelleborg for supply of the rolling seal and SRP Subsea for supply of the Rocksteady mooring connector.

Stromness-based Green Marine will carry the marine operations for deployment of the device.