What is Wave Energy?

Wave power is created by capturing the energy of the ocean's surface waves. The waves around the coast of the Highlands and Islands are therefore a natural source of energy.

Thanks to our location in the North Atlantic at the periphery of Europe we have an abundance of wave energy waiting to be unlocked. Recognising the potential associated with exploiting wave energy, there are a number of companies actively involved in the development of wave energy devices. Among the best known of these wave energy pioneers is Inverness-based Wavegen. World leaders in wave energy, Wavegen has built the first ever grid-connected commercial-scale wave energy device, the Limpet, a 500kW wave turbine device, which has operated successfully on Islay since 2002.

The LIMPET is also to be the driving force behind a planned joint project between Wavegen and npower renewables.  The companies plan to build a wave power plant at Siadar on the Isle of Lewis.  If built, the project will harness power from the Atlantic waves in Siadar bay to generate up to 4MW of electricity.

AWS Ocean Energy based in Alness, Ross-shire, is also using the seas to develop and test its revolutionary utility-scale Archimedes Wave Swing technology.  The company is another developer awarded funding through the Scottish Government's Wave and Tidal Energy Support Scheme, and is aiming to deploy a prototype device at EMEC in 2009.

Another example of a leading-edge developer is Pelamis Wave Power (PWP), an Edinburgh-based company. Their Pelamis Wave Energy Converter has undergone testing at the European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney. PWP secured an first order from a Portguese consortium building the world’s first commercial wave-farm.

At the official opening of the EMEC tidal site in September 2007, Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond announced plans for the world's largest wave farm.  This project is being led by CRE Ltd and will comprise of four 750kW Pelamis devices off the coast of Orkney.  It is hoped that this farm will be operational in summer 2009.

Discover more about how wave power works with our Key Links

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