Finnish wave energy developer Wello said its Penguin device survived storms with 12 meter high waves during testing off Orkney.
Wello said its analysis found that movements of the device were “controlled and suitable for power production even in the heavy sea conditions”.
However, the firm said early autumn conditions had proved impractical for commissioning operations on the device, which has been installed in a test berth at the European Marine Energy Centre.
“We are pleased to have demonstrated that the Penguin survives these conditions,” said Aki Luukkainen, Wello’s chief executive. However, he added: “Early autumn conditions in Orkney have however shown that commissioning operations on sea are impractical in this phase, when we need to access the device frequently.”
The firm said the device and its moorings would now go through extensive inspections, to help guide future deployment plans and future designs.
Heikki Paakkinen, the firm’s founder, added: “We really appreciate the support that we have had from Orkney, it has helped us greatly to get the most out of this first stage in our testing programme and we look forward to our next phases with similar levels of local support.”
