Vattenfall and Pelamis Wave Power, the Edinburgh technology developer, launched this joint-venture to [...]]]> Vattenfall recently presented plans for the first wave power plant outside the Shetland Is-lands in the eastern Atlantic. The project could achieve installed capacity up to 20 MW as early as 2014, and it can be expanded to produce many times over that capacity.

Vattenfall and Pelamis Wave Power, the Edinburgh technology developer, launched this joint-venture to develop the first wave power project off the Shetland Islands. The venture, called Aegir Wave Power Ltd, was announced  the same day that Vattenfall’s new office in Edinburgh, and the first in Scotland, was officially opened by the First Minister, the Rt Hon Alex Salmond MP, MSP.

“The wave power plant on the Shetland Islands is one part of Vattenfall’s objective to produce pure elec-tricity that does not burden our climate or our environment. The ocean west of Shetland has very close to ideal conditions that will enable us to extract energy from the waves effectively,” says Ulf Tisell who is the manager of Vattenfall Ocean Energy Program.

Pelamis’ wave power technology will first be used outside the Shetland Islands. It will be built on 150-180 metre long floating “tubes” that move with the waves. Generators between the different sections of the “tubes” transform the movements to electricity. Other technologies can be used in the area at a later phase.

If the requisite planning consents are granted, and the planned Shetland-Scotland sub-sea cable is con-structed within the estimated time period, Vattenfall is hoping to have installed up to 20 MW through the project as early as 2014. 20 MW would provide electricity for app. 9000 households for a year. However, there is potential to expand and achieve much greater capacity, which makes it one of the largest wave power plants on the drawing board in Europe at present.

About Pelamis Wave Power Ltd:

Pelamis Wave Power Ltd is one of the leading wave power technology companies in the world. The com-pany was the first to connect electricity from a wave power plant to the British electricity network. In 2008, it became the first company in the world to put a functioning wave power farm into operation.

Source Vattenfall

The grant to OPT is part of a total award of EUR 4.5 million to a consortium of companies, including OPT, [...]]]> Ocean Power Technologies, Inc.  has announced the award of EUR 2.2 million under the European Commission’s Seventh Framework Programme, by the EC Directorate responsible for new and renewable sources of energy, energy efficiency and innovation.

The grant to OPT is part of a total award of EUR 4.5 million to a consortium of companies, including OPT, to deliver a PowerBuoy(R) wave energy device under a project entitled WavePort, with an innovative wave prediction capability and a “wave-by-wave” tuning system. It is anticipated that the PowerBuoy will be deployed at the Santoña site in Spain, where OPT has worked on a wave energy project under contract from Iberdrola, the major Spanish utility company.

OPT will be responsible for the design, supply and deployment of the PowerBuoy and Underwater Substation Pod, with additional funding going to the remaining consortium members for the steel fabrication, wave-monitoring equipment, wave resource prediction research, system monitoring and project management. As well as OPT, the consortium members include the Wave Energy Centre (Portugal), Fugro Oceanor (Norway), DeGima (Spain), the University of Exeter (UK), and ISRI (UK) (the “Consortium”).

OPT’s PowerBuoy has a proprietary energy conversion and control system that allows for wave-by-wave tuning of the device to optimize electrical output. The University of Exeter has expertise in the area of wave prediction and Fugro will provide wave-monitoring equipment to collect and transmit wave data to the PowerBuoy, with the aim of further increasing overall energy production.

Charles F. Dunleavy, Chief Executive Officer of Ocean Power Technologies, Inc., commented: “This award by the European Commission is a springboard for OPT to further develop our Spanish project and to demonstrate the commercial performance of the PowerBuoy’s proprietary and innovative tuning system. We would like to thank the Commission for this award and we look forward to working with our Consortium partners and the EC to deliver this exciting new PowerBuoy project.”

The Company’s work under the award is conditional on the signing of a Consortium Agreement by all expected members of the Consortium, which is expected to occur over the next two months. In addition, OPT will be required to seek additional funding to enable the completion of the WavePort project.

Atlantis Resources has forged a deal with the western state of Gujarat, under which the privately owned company will establish the feasibility of developing tidal power projects capable of generating [...]]]> A small British-based tidal energy company has won a landmark contract to attempt to harness the power of the sea around India for the first time.

Atlantis Resources has forged a deal with the western state of Gujarat, under which the privately owned company will establish the feasibility of developing tidal power projects capable of generating more than 100 megawatts of power — enough to supply about 40,000 households.

Of particular interest are the Gulf of Kutch and the Gulf of Khambhat in the Arabian Sea: two sites renowned for extreme daily tides. The project could lead to hundreds of millions of pounds worth of investment in tidal energy if the results of the study are positive.

India has more than 4,500 miles of coastline and is scrambling to tackle a gaping power deficit but has yet to establish a single tidal power project. The move to explore the untapped resource comes ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, an event where India will strive to demonstrate that it isdoing its utmost to limit emissions while refusing to cap economic growth.

India, which imports 70 per cent of its oil and relies on modest coal reserves to generate most of its electricity, is on course to become the third-largest user of energy by 2030, behind the US and China.

Atlantis’s backers include Morgan Stanley and Statkraft, the Norweigan state utility. The company, which is run by Tim Cornelius, an Australian former pilot of manned submersibles, is also hoping to establish a £400 million project to build one of the world’s biggest tidal power plants in the Pentland Firth, off the Scottish coast.

The waterway, famous for its treacherous currents, has the potential to turn Scotland into “the Saudi Arabia of tidal energy”, according to Alex Salmond, the Scottish First Minister.

Source: By Rhys Blakely, The Times
Story from: http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/natural_resources/article6935567.ece

“This stretch of coastline is [...]]]> Australian ocean energy company, BioPower Systems has announced that it had secured land access, onshore development rights and project intellectual property for a commercial-scale wave energy site located near the town of Port Fairy, Victoria. The site offers unobstructed exposure to the immense wave power resource produced by the Southern Ocean.

“This stretch of coastline is well known around the world as a premiere location for wave energy development,” the CEO of BioPower Systems, Dr Timothy Finnigan, said. “The strength and consistency of the swell here is phenomenal.”

BioPower Systems expects to commence works at the site by the end of this year and to initially produce energy using a 250kW bioWAVE™ ocean wave energy system. A commercial wave farm using an array of larger 1MW bioWAVE™ units would follow.

Preliminary assessments suggest that the site could accommodate up to 100MW of installed capacity, which would provide renewable energy for up to 55,000 Victorian households. Pre-development work at the site was conducted by Diamond Energy, an Australian private company that develops accredited renewable energy projects and also retails clean electricity. Diamond Energy conducted investigative studies to confirm suitability of the marine site and capacity of the local power distribution grid.

Tony Sennitt, Managing Director of Diamond Energy, said “Port Fairy is an ideal location for establishing a wave energy farm”. “Not only does this region have the highest wave energy levels in the State of Victoria, development of the project supports the local community by creating up to 200 new jobs through the development, commercialisation and production stages”.

BioPower Systems’ proprietary bioWAVE™ technology has minimal environmental impact and is not visible above the sea surface. “The prospect of generating clean power from the ocean, invisibly, is very exciting,” said Mr Sennitt.

BioPower Systems has signed agreements with Diamond Energy, the local landowner, and an onshore facilitator, who will all provide support to the project. Investigations and planning for the first phase of the project have commenced.

“Victoria is a large producer of coal-fired power and it has some significant industrial power consumers. Fortunately, the State Government is also very supportive of renewable energy,” Dr. Finnigan said. “We have been working for some time to secure a world-class project opportunity in Australia, and the site near Port Fairy will now complement our commercial developments in Europe and the USA, giving the company a deep project pipeline for our bioWAVE™ ocean wave energy system,” he added.

About BioPower Systems

Australia’s ocean energy company, BioPower Systems, is commercialising wave and tidal energy systems that incorporate revolutionary designs based on the concept of biomimicry. BioPower is designing its systems to naturally avoid extreme ocean forces, using light-weight construction, resulting in anticipated significant cost savings. The proprietary bioWAVETM and bioSTREAMTM technologies are designed to combine lighter, more resilient structures while delivering lower capital costs and lower energy generation costs.

Source – www.biopowersystems.com

Killer Whales in the Wild-NOAA

The loss of human life yesterday at SeaWorld was tragic.  The appropriate response to this tragedy would be to end the captivity of Killer Whales and the inexcusable exploitation of them by the entertainment industry.

Tilikum, the whale involved in the incident, has been held in small tanks since his capture in [...]]]>

Killer Whales in the Wild-NOAA

The loss of human life yesterday at SeaWorld was tragic.  The appropriate response to this tragedy would be to end the captivity of Killer Whales and the inexcusable exploitation of them by the entertainment industry.

Tilikum, the whale involved in the incident, has been held in small tanks since his capture in 1983.  He is most often held in isolation, which is very unnatural for whales who normally live in pods (groups).  He is also used for breeding on a regular basis, which anyone who has worked with bulls, stallions, etc… will tell you has a profound effect on animal behavior.  And as if this was not enough of a torturous existence for him, he is also kept hungry to ensure that he will perform tricks for the paying public on a regular schedule.

These magnificent, intelligent creatures are held in deplorable conditions and forced to perform to “feed” corporate greed and no other reason.  The public does not learn anything useful about whales by watching them perform tricks except that they can provide a steady stream of income. 

This tragedy should have everyone questioning the entire industry based around captive marine mammals being forced to perform, but instead will probably increase revenue due to morbid human fascination.

Yesterday was a sad day for many reasons!

Regeneration organisation Britain’s Energy Coast West [...]]]> A STUDY is underway to explore options for tidal energy generation across the Duddon Estuary in South Cumbria. Tidal barrages, fences, reefs and other innovative technologies will all be considered along with the potential for a road link between Barrow-in-Furness and Millom at the southern tip of Britain’s Energy Coast™.

Regeneration organisation Britain’s Energy Coast West Cumbria has commissioned consultants Parsons Brinckerhoff to undertake a feasibility study which will help to identify the best options for any potential development. Parsons Brinckerhoff will review the findings of previous studies carried out by Balfour Beatty and Sir Robert McAlpine for the Department for Trade and Industry back in 1994; while taking into account the recent revival of interest in tidal energy and the introduction of challenging renewable energy and carbon reduction targets.

Previous studies have suggested the Duddon Estuary has potential to generate around 100MW of energy – enough to power in the region of 200,000 homes – and provide a new transport link that would cut 17 miles off the current journey between Barrow and Millom.

This latest study for a Duddon Estuary Tidal Energy Scheme will examine options from an energy, infrastructure and environmental perspective. It will asses the suitability of existing and emerging tidal technologies, set against the cost of development and, of huge importance, the potential environmental impact of any scheme. It will also set options against the wider context of the pressing need to update Cumbria’s connection to the National Grid and to improve transport links in Furness and West Cumbria to support the wider Britain’s Energy Coast™ initiative.

The study has been funded with a £30,000 grant from Britain’s Energy Coast West Cumbria and a further £30,000 from the Carbon Challenge Fund, which is administered by the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA). Britain’s Energy Coast West Cumbria is to hold a workshop for invited key stakeholders in March, and a second more comprehensive workshop before it publishes the findings of the study in the summer.

Stuart Cowperthwaite, Programme Director of Britain’s Energy Coast West Cumbria , said: “With Cumbria poised to play an important role in tackling the pressing issues of climate change and energy security through the Britain’s Energy Coast initiative, it is an ideal time to revisit and update the potential for tidal energy generation across the Duddon Estuary. Alongside tidal schemes being considered for Morecambe Bay and the Solway Firth; continued offshore and emerging community-owned onshore developments; and the County’s first farm-based anaerobic digestion plant about to come on line, we are starting to see a brighter, more prosperous and greener future emerge.”

Simon Sjenitzer , Strategy Director at Cumbria Vision , said: “Tidal power is in constant development and therefore it is important we examine all existing and emerging technologies to find the best possible option for the Duddon Estuary, along with other schemes for the Solway Firth and Morecambe Bay. Cumbria already has a strong cluster of businesses involved in tidal energy which could play an important part in delivering schemes not only in Cumbria, but in Britain and further afield.”

Steven Broomhead, Chief Executive, Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) said: “As part of our commitment to creating a low carbon economy, thorough delivery of the Climate Change Action Plan the NWDA continues to work with regional partners on a range of projects and initiatives such as the Carbon Challenge Fund. The Duddon Estuary Tidal Energy Scheme will also compliment the work we have undertaken for the Solway Firth and the Mersey, and allow us to identify how we can help meet the government’s targets relating to renewable energy generation and carbon reduction.”

The start of the Duddon Estuary feasibility study comes just a few weeks after the publication of the Solway Firth Energy Feasibility Study, which identified options for four tidal barrages, two lagoons and three tidal reefs which could generate between 100MW and 6GW of energy. The findings can be found at www.solwayenergygateway.co.uk .

The importance of tidal energy in Cumbria’s push to become a major generator of low carbon and renewable energy, was outlined in a recent study written by renowned environmental scientist Sir Martin Holdgate entitled The Scope for Renewable Energy in Cumbria**. While Sir Martin outlined the huge potential for tidal schemes he stressed the importance of striking a balance between energy generation and the need to protect Cumbria’s stunning natural environment.

Over the past 12 months, both companies have worked with the Crown Estate in assessing the zone. Studies have revealed the significant energy potential of the [...]]]> IBERDROLA RENOVABLES, through its ScottishPower Renewables subsidiary, and Vattenfall have set up a 50/50 joint venture, East Anglia Offshore Wind, to develop this project off the coast of East Anglia.

Over the past 12 months, both companies have worked with the Crown Estate in assessing the zone. Studies have revealed the significant energy potential of the site, the excellent conditions of local ports and first-class grid connections. The future East Anglia Array offshore site will be one of nine new zones included in the Crown Estate’s third round of wind power licences. In all, up to 32,000 MW of offshore wind capacity is being awarded in Round 3, creating thousands of jobs and significantly cutting carbon emissions.

A team of specialists from the joint venture has already begun to assess the engineering challenges of the zone and possible environmental effects. The partners intend to work with local companies and boost employment in the area.

Galán, at the presentation in London

The Chairman of IBERDROLA RENOVABLES, Ignacio Galán, today attended the Round 3 presentation in London, stating after the awards had been announced that the project will strengthen the company’s global leadership position(*)(*) See explanation in the wind energy sector and cement its presence in the strategic UK market: “We are delighted to be working with Vattenfall on what will be one of the largest wind farms in the world. The development of East Anglia Array will doubtlessly be a great engineering challenge but, as the UK’s leading onshore wind power company, the experience we have gained over the last 15 years will help us succeed in this far-reaching project”.

The Chairman and CEO of Vattenfall, Lars G. Josefsson, added: “Generating clean energy is a commitment Vattenfall has made to its customers and society, and offshore wind power is a cornerstone of our contribution to a better climate. Vattenfall is therefore delighted to be working with ScottishPower Renewables and we are excited about the prospect of using our wide and varied offshore wind experience gained building schemes across Europe by developing a wind farm off the East Anglia coast”.

The preliminary permits required for the zone, which is part of Round 3 of the UK government’s Crown Estate offshore wind farm programme, could be obtained in 2012 and phased construction could start in 2015. The zone has potential to supply power to up to five million households and thereby make a substantial contribution to the country’s renewable energy objectives in combating climate change.

ScottishPower Renewables is working on several offshore wind power projects in the UK, with a total capacity of 1,700 MW, including the 500 MW West of Duddon Sands project. The company is now the leading developer and generator of onshore wind energy in the country and operates the largest wind farm in Europe, Whitelee in Scotland, completed in May 2009.

IBERDROLA RENOVABLES, present in 23 countries, is the world leader* in both installed capacity (with around 11,000 MW at year-end 2009), and output (over 21,000 million kWh).

Stage one of the project, which has already commenced, involves the deployment of a single [...]]]> Australian Wave Energy developer, Carnegie Wave Energy Limited, recently announced the formal launch yesterday of its Perth Wave Energy Project. The announcement was made by WesternAustralian Minister for Energy the Honorable Peter Collier at Carnegie’s Wave Energy Research Facility in Fremantle, Western Australia.

Stage one of the project, which has already commenced, involves the deployment of a single stand-alone commercial scale CETO unit in the Sepia Depression, between Garden Island and Five Fathom Bank in 2010. The deployed system will consist of the mooring, a CETO unit and a data telemetry buoy. Deployment of the CETO unit will be for an initial period of up to 12 months involving periodic inspection and maintenance of components.

This will be the first commercial scale wave energy unit to be deployed in Australia.

The company has reported that activities on the site relating to the deployment of the first commercial scale, autonomous CETO wave energy device have already commenced. Currently the jack-up rig (JUP) owned and operated by Boskalis Australia Pty Ltd, pictured above, is on site and installing a drilled and grouted pile mooring that will form the foundation for Stage 1 of the project. It is expected that this activity will be soon be completed.

Carnegie’s Chief Operating Officer, Greg Allen, said, “Upon its completion, Carnegie’s Perth Wave Energy Project will be the first commercial scale wave energy project to operate in Australia. The primary aim of the project is to demonstrate the CETO technology in commercial operation for the first time however, it will also deliver Carnegie its first project based revenues from the sale of power.”

The commercial demonstration project will have a peak installed capacity of 5MW, generating sufficient power for around 3,500 households. The Project is forecast to create 30 jobs and save over 500,000 tonnes in greenhouse gas emissions over the life of the project. The project will utilise Carnegie’s $12.5 million LEED grant from the Western Australian Government announced earlier this year. Detailed cost and design activities associated with Stage 2 will be undertaken during 2010 with construction and commissioning scheduled for 2011.