Novel wave energy projects to receive funding

Eight wave energy developers are to be awarded funding to help them to progress their ideas.

Wave Energy Scotland, which involves the Scottish government and Highlands and Islands Enterprise, sought novel solutions to generating electricity.

Among the successful ideas is an inflatable device that can be stowed away when not in use.

Wave Energy Scotland selected the eight developers from 37 applications for a share of more than £2.25m.

This was the second time Wave Energy Scotland had sought project ideas. Five of the successful applicants involve Scottish companies.

'Novel projects'

Energy Minister Fergus Ewing said the call for applications had drawn interest from Europe and elsewhere.

He said: "I am very pleased to see that Scottish firms and institutions lead five of the eight projects in the second call for novel wave energy converters.

"This once again affirms the home-grown expertise that we have right here on our own doorstep."

He added: "These novel projects will bring us closer to developing a successful wave energy industry with Scotland firmly at the helm."

The projects set to receive funding are 4C Engineering and Sea Power Ltd's Attenuator Cost of Energy Reduction (ACER), Joules Energy Efficiency Services Ltd's WaveTrain Sloped Pneumatic WEC, Albatern Ltd's WaveNET Series 12 and Mocean Wave Energy Converter, which involves Mocean Energy Ltd and University of Edinburgh.

Also, the CCell Mark 3 - Novel Curved WEC Optimisation which is being developed by Zyba Limited and University of Bath, Quoceant Ltd's Automatically Inflatable and Stowable Volume, Checkmate Seaenergy Ltd's Anaconda Novel Wave Energy Converter and AWS Ocean Energy Ltd's Advanced Archimedes Waveswing.