About Wave Hub

Questions and Answers

Below are some frequently-asked questions about Wave Hub.  Click on the question to jump to the answers, or scroll down the list.

What is Wave Hub?

The Wave Hub is an electrical grid connection point approximately 10 nautical miles(16km) offshore into which wave energy devices will be connected.  It provides a well defined and monitored site with electrical connection to the onshore electricity grid and will greatly simplify and shorten the legal consents and other process for developers. 

How long will Wave Hub be in place?

The Wave Hub aims to help companies developing new wave energy devices.  This is expected to take place over at least ten years until the devices are eventually recognised as being reliable and commercial.   After then, it is very possible that potentially new, better designs will emerge.  So, Wave Hub may continue in its planned role for 20 - 25 years but this depends very much on how the industry develops over time. Wave Hub’s lease on the seabed is for 25 years.

Why the interest in UK marine renewable energy?

The UK has some of the largest wave and tidal energy resources in Europe.  Allowing for technical, practical and environmental limitations, wave energy alone could generate up to one-sixth of the UK’s electricity consumption.

The UK Government is committed to increasing the amount of electricity generated by renewable energy sources to 20% by 2020.  This will help to address increasingly important energy and environmental issues including the security of energy supplies, climate change, resource depletion and environmental pollution.

Why did the South West RDA develop Wave Hub?

The South West of England wants to take a prominent position in marine renewable energy.  The region has the potential to generate substantial amounts of electricity from its wave and tidal stream resources, and has the skills and facilities to support development of the industry. 

How soon will wave energy be a commercial proposition?

The sooner we can install groups of devices on a large scale, the sooner we can improve our energy security and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.  But these projects will involve large amounts of investment and there will need to be confidence that they will yield the predicted amounts of power at economical cost.

Will this provide a cheap source of electricity?

Not immediately but as technology matures costs should come down.

Which wave energy devices will connect to Wave Hub?

These devices capture energy from the waves and use it to drive electricity generators.  The electricity is exported to the shore and into the electricity grid via a subsea cable.

There are many wave energy devices currently being developed by industrial and engineering companies in the UK and abroad.  It is generally accepted that the UK has a lead in the development of these technologies but others are catching up fast.

Where can I find out more about wave energy devices?

We plan to add a section to this website to explain more about the different types of device being developed in the UK and overseas.  In the meantime, these links connect to the websites of some of the leading devices:

Where is Wave Hub located?

The best area for wave energy is close to the electricity grid off the north coast of Cornwall.  Critical constraints are the wave climate, grid connection and sea areas excluded by a variety of other established uses.  Taking into account water depth, seabed condition, shipping lanes, and following consultation with the fishing industry, the selected site for the Wave Hub is about 16km off the coast, North-East of St Ives.  The area of sea occupied by the devices will measure 4,000m by 2,000m.  This area may also have a beneficial effect as a nursery ground for fish stocks.

What are the potential benefits?

Wave Hub will have a variety of direct and indirect benefits:

  • Recognition of the South West region as a leader in the field of wave power electricity generation.
  • Build on the work already carried out by NaREC, EMEC, the Carbon Trust and DECC to establish the UK as the world leader in marine energy.
  • Wave Hub will provide developers with the final step towards commercial application of devices and enable future financing of commercial projects.
  • Provide a location where the environmental impacts of deviced can be proven.
  • Provide a resource in support of education and training in renewable energy technologies in the South West
  • Be a catalyst for the creation of an entire new industry building on the South West’s traditional strength of maritime and engineering expertise.  Jobs could be created through the manufacturing, deploying, maintaining and repairing the potentially wide range of devices
  • The production of a significant amount of clean renewable energy in the South West.

What are the potential environmental impacts?

An environmental impact assessment has been carried out and can be downloaded from this website.  This involved an analysis of the potential impacts of the project on different parts of the environment.  This includes the effects of laying the cable (most of which is offshore) and the impacts of the  arrays of wave energy devices on marine ecology, fisheries, recreational users and navigation.  There is very little terrestrial land-take, with only one cable coming ashore, terminating near the site of a disused power station.

What research is taking place around the project?

There is a great deal still to be learned before marine renewable energy can be exploited on a commercial basis.  Several UK universities are active in this area and the Wave Hub has formed a close relationship with the Peninsula Research Institute for Marine Renewable Energy.  This group are carrying out a number of important research projects to gain the greatest possible knowledge about resource assessment, environmental impact and other key areas for the industry.

Does the location of Wave Hub interfere with shipping routes?

The Western Approaches are a busy area for shipping and we have carried out radar and AIS surveys to understand the routes generally used.  In order to keep traffic in the Bristol Channel, away from the Wave Hub site, the UK in July 2009 extended the Traffic Separation Scheme off Land’s End five nautical miles northwards, so that ships navigating around the coast will now pass well to the north.  The Wave Hub site will be marked on navigation charts and will display appropriate navigation buoys to mark its location.

How was Wave Hub constructed?

A number of engineering options were considered, based on what is technically sound and achievable, has minimum environmental impact, is cost-effective and does not present significant safety and operational issues.

The project connects to the electricity distribution network via a new sub-station in Hayle, Cornwall.  From there, a cable runs through a duct under the sand dunes and is jointed to the sub-sea cable in a pit beneath the beach.  The cable is buried in sediment for the first 5km out to sea and is then held in place by rock armouring.  At the offshore site, the cable divides into four to allow four types of devices to be connected in.