Scottish Wave Power Firm Welcomes Government’s Carbon Strategy

Green Ocean Energy, a leading Scottish renewable energy company, has welcomed the Governement’s Low Carbon Transition Plan. The white paper, which was announced this week, pledges to invest £120m in offshore wind power and a further £60m in wave and tidal technologies. The investment packages include: £10m investement in the New and Renewable Energy Centre (NaREC) in Blyth where Green Ocean Energy’s wave power devices have been tested £8m investment in the European Marine Energy Centre in the Orkney Islands £22m of grant funding for the testing and demonstration of pre-commercial wave and tidal devices. The company’s managing director, George Smith, said: “It is encouraging to see the Goverment recognising the need to invest in this sector if it is to achieve its ambitious sustainable energy targets. There’s some fantastic working being done by UK companies to ensure that renewable energy is both effective and economically viable but further financial support both from the public and private sectors is required to develop the renewable industry’s huge potential. “We have been delighted by the level of interest we are receiving in our wave power technology which we aniticpate will play a significant part in helping the UK hit its sustainable energy targets. Energy companies are realising that both wind and wave power will be major contributors to the energy markets in the near future and are sitting up and taking notice of the technology that is being developed” Green Ocean Energy has developed two wave power devices – Wave Treader which attaches to and offshore wind turbine and Ocean Treader which is a free floating device that is designed to be moored offshore in wave farms. Using similar technology, the devices harness wave energy and convert the motion into electricity. A scale prototype has recently undergone testing at the New and Renewable Energy Centre (NaREC) in Blyth and also at the wave tank at the University of Strathclyde. The results of the latest round of testing are expected to be announced in August. A full scale prototype of Wave Treader is scheduled for deployment next year.