Scottish firm Mocean Energy is preparing to send its Blue X wave energy prototype to Orkney for sea trials next month.
Unveiled today in Rosyth, Blue X will be deployed at the European Marine Energy Centre’s Scapa Flow test site before moving on to the large-scale Billia Croo site in summer.
Next year, it will be connected to a subsea battery which will be used to power a remotely operated autonomous underwater vehicle.
Fife fabricator AJS Production built the 20-metre long, 38-tonne wave machine and Montrose-based Rybay painted it.
Blue X will now undergo ballasting and wet testing at Rosyth before being transported to Orkney.
The manufacture and testing programme is supported by £3.3 million from Wave Energy Scotland (WES).
WES managing director Tim Hurst said: “This demonstration of credible wave technology comes at a time when there is a real prospect of a market support mechanism for marine energy, that taken together, will enable wave energy to make a significant contribution to the future Scottish and UK low carbon energy mix needed to meet our net zero obligations.”
Mocean managing director Cameron McNatt said: “As we drive toward net zero, we will need many forms of renewable energy and wave energy can make a significant contribution.
“Our test programme in Orkney will allow us to prove our concept at sea, particularly that its novel hull shapes will produce more power than traditional raft designs.
“This enables the development of commercial scale technologies suited to the oil and gas and other industries.”
Last month, Mocean Energy announced a £1.6m project with OGTC, Harbour Energy, EC-OG and Modus to demonstrate the potential of the Blue X prototype to power a subsea battery and a remote underwater vehicle – using onshore testing at EC-OG’s Aberdeen facility.
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