The project will see the design, construction and installation of a floating system demonstrator by 2016 at a site with high wind speeds up to about 10 metres per second in water between 60 and 100 metres deep.

It will be operated for at least two years to show it can generate high levels of electricity, be maintained without using specially designed vessels and to verify the predicted technical and economic performance.

Wave Hub consists of a gird-connected ‘socket’ on the seabed approximately 10 nautical miles off the north coast ofCornwallin South West England.

Designed to test arrays of wave energy devices in eight square kilometres of sea, it has been commissioned by the ETI to complete a study to investigate whether the waters around Wave Hub would be suitable for testing floating wind turbines as part of the project.

It is estimated that theUKhas over a third ofEurope’s potential offshore wind resource – enough to power the country nearly three times over. Tapping into this economically, particularly in deeper waters off the west coast of theUK, will require significant technology developments and floating wind could be a solution.

Wave Hub has four berths in total. Two of these have already been reserved by wave device developers Ocean Energy Limited of Ireland and Ocean Power Technologies, based in the US and UK. Two berths remain, each measuring one kilometre by two kilometres.

Dr David Clarke, ETI Chief Executive said: “The ETI is seeking potential sites to host the demonstration project and we will be working with Wave Hub to see if it could be suitable for hosting the offshore wind floating platform.  This is a challenging project and will need local marine engineering skills and support facilities as well as the right water and wind conditions.

“The concept for the floating platforms is to be able to access near-to-shore, high wind speed sites off the west coast of theUKwhich would bring down the cost of generating electricity so the Wave Hub site offers some interesting possibilities.”

Claire Gibson, Wave Hub General Manager, said: “We have commissioned a study to investigate whether the Wave Hub site is suitable for testing floating wind turbines in response to the approach made by ETI.  This study will establish whether the site has the necessary characteristics and if a single wind turbine demonstrator project is deliverable at Wave Hub. 

“We have a particular advantage in that the offshore grid infrastructure and onshore substation are already in place, and we also have a team that has experience of managing the design, consent and installation of offshore energy projects.  We clearly need to consult with a wide range of groups and other sea users about this opportunity and this forms an important part of the study.”

The feasibility study is being funded by the ETI and carried out by Halcrow.  It is expected to be completed before the summer.

The ETI’s Request for Proposals for companies interested in taking part in the demonstration project closed on 27 January with a high level of interest from organisations in theUK,Europeand beyond.

The selection process has now started and it is expected that the contract will be awarded early next year.

A study commissioned by the South WestRDA(Regional Development Agency) and published in 2010 calculated there are sufficient marine energy resources for commercial use within 50 km of the South West coast to deliver 9.2 Giga Watts (GW) of electricity, equivalent to the annual needs of 20% of UK households, or 5% of the UK’s electricity needs by 2030.

Of this, 2.5GW could come from deep-water floating windfarms, 1.2GW from wave energy, 1.1GW from tidal stream, and 4.4GW from offshore wind, much of it from two existing offshore windfarms planned in the Bristol Channel and off theDorsetcoast.

The Government recently announcement that South West England is theUK’s firstMarineEnergyPark.  This embraces the opportunity of generating offshore wind in addition to wave and tidal energy. 

Anyone interested in receiving details of future RfPs issued by the ETI can sign up to the RSS feed on the ETI website at http://www.energytechnologies.co.uk/ETINewsRSS.rss, subscribe to receive the ETI’s newsletters by emailing info@eti.co.uk or follow the ETI on Twitter at www.twitter.com/the_eti

• CCC calls for more ambitious targets for growth of marine renewables
• Revenue certainty needed if the industry is to generate up to 68,000 jobs
• Siemens announces further investment in UK wave and tidal sector

RenewableUK, the renewable energy trade association, has welcomed a new report by the Energy and Climate Change Select Committee which calls for an increase in the deployment of wave and tidal power.

The Committee Chairman Tim Yeo MP said “Britannia really could rule the waves when it comes to marine renewable energy”.

The Committee calls for the Government to set more ambitious targets for the wave and tidal sector, and to provide greater revenue certainty, in order to maximise the likelihood of the UK benefitting from a lucrative export market in clean energy technology. RenewableUK’s research has revealed that by 2020 the industry could have a value of up to £3.7 billion.

RenewableUK’s Director of Policy, Dr Gordon Edge, said:

“The marine energy industry is now on the threshold of commercial viability, and the Committee’s report contains important recommendations which, if implemented, will help push it towards becoming a major part of our electricity generation system. In particular, we welcome the Committee’s recognition that any failure to help the industry live up to its promise could lead to other countries stealing the UK’s current global lead. We can’t afford to have innovation and manufacturing in hi-tech industries go overseas”.

Government proposals for revenue support for wave and tidal power do not yet extend beyond 2017, leaving a question mark over the industry’s future.

“Certainty is the watchword for securing the investment marine energy will require to become a major power source. We don’t yet have that certainty, and the Committee’s call for long-term clarity on Government support for marine energy is timely,” concluded Dr Edge.

His comments follow the announcement on Friday that Siemens has strengthened its commitment to UK’s wave and tidal sector by acquiring a majority stake in the Bristol-base company Marine Current Turbines, which develops and builds tidal power systems. The company described the move as an important step forward in the commercialisation of a promising technology.

This means that two of Wave Hub’s four berths off Hayle on the north coast of Cornwall in South West England have now been reserved. US and UK-based Ocean Power Technologies (OPT) has already signed a commitment agreement to deploy its PowerBuoy device.

Wave Hub will match fund some of Ocean Energy’s deployment costs up to a maximum of £1 million, following a competition last year for device developers able to deploy in 2012.  This includes the cost of securing a Marine Licence and installation of moorings and deployment.

Wave Hub general manager Claire Gibson said: “I am pleased to confirm our partnership with Ocean Energy Limited and look forward to assisting them with their deployment at Wave Hub later this year. Ocean Energy has completed three years of prototype testing in energetic sea conditions and is ready to make the next step to Wave Hub with a full scale device. If the testing goes well we expect to see Ocean Energy deploy an array of devices at Wave Hub. 

“By supporting Ocean Energy’s deployment now we can fully test our operational procedures and establish the process for securing a Marine Licence. This will support and accelerate further deployments at Wave Hub.”

John McCarthy, chief executive and co-founder of Ocean Energy said: “We are delighted to have been chosen by Wave Hub to deploy our technology at their Hayle facility. Cornwall has been to the forefront in developing and incubating the wave energy sector and is well placed to reap the rewards of this foresight with an excellent range of services available locally.”

He said that the rigorous testing and proven survivability of Ocean Energy’s technology was a key driver in winning this opportunity for their device.  

Ocean Energy will now consider fabricating its 1.5 MW device locally. 

Ocean Energy’s OE Buoy uses the oscillating water column principle. As waves enter a subsea chamber they force air through a turbine on the surface, generating electricity. As the waves recede they cause a vacuum, drawing air back through the turbine. Ocean Energy’s technology means the turbine rotates continuously regardless of the direction of the airflow. This improves efficiency and means it only has one moving part, minimising maintenance costs.

Dresser-Rand and Ocean Energy Limited already have a memorandum of understanding to develop a full range of full-scale devices to produce commercial electricity. Dresser-Rand developed and patented the HydroAir™ turbine – a variable radius turbine that uses a combination of stainless steel, aluminium and reinforced composites to resist corrosion. The turbine is constructed to withstand the rigors of a marine environment, and demonstrates higher levels of efficiency when compared to existing impulse designs across a wide range of incident flows.

This announcement follows South West England’s recent designation as the UK’s first Marine Energy Park.

Climate Change Minister Greg Barker made the announcement on a visit toBristolwhere he met with key members of the new initiative.

TheSouthWestMarineEnergyParkwill stretch fromCornwalland the Isles of Scilly toBristol. It will create a collaborative partnership in the region between national and local government, Local Enterprise Partnerships, the Universities of Plymouth andExeterand industry including Wave Hub and the FabTest marine renewables nursery site inFalmouthBay.

The aim of the partnership will be to speed up the progress of marine power development.

Wave Hub general manager Claire Gibson said: “Today’s announcement reinforces the prominence ofCornwall and the South West in theUK’s offer to the marine renewable energy industry. Wave Hub is a cornerstone of the newMarineEnergyPark and we look forward to playing our role in accelerating the commercial development of marine renewables.”

The announcement has been warmly welcomed elsewhere inCornwall.

David Ellis, Chairman of Falmouth Harbour Commissioners, said: “Today’s announcement cementsFalmouth’s growing reputation as a marine renewables hub. A fantastic example of this is FabTest, a nursery test site for wave energy devices, which Falmouth Harbour Commissioners set up in response to demand from local industry wishing to offer services to the marine renewable sector. We expect to see the first device deployed at the site in the next few months and the high level of interest indicates that there will be a steady stream of device deployments to follow.”

Peter Child, Managing Director of A&P Falmouth, said: “As a company recognised for working at the forefront of the marine renewables sector, A&P Falmouth is delighted to welcome today’s announcement, which is fantastic news forFalmouth and the Cornish economy.

“We are delighted to see this commitment to marine renewable energy in the South West from the Government and are now focused on supporting the South West to realise its objective to become a leading region in marine renewable energy. With thePortofFalmouthnamed as a centre of activity for the marine energy park and with the newly opened FabTest site on our doorstep, we are perfectly positioned to support the development and growth of the sector.”

Energy from the waves or tides has the potential to generate up to 27GW of power in theUKalone by 2050, equivalent to the power generated from 8 coal-fired power stations, as well as helping to reduce emissions to fight climate change.

Greg Barker said: “This is a real milestone for the marine industry and for the South West region in securing its place in renewables history as the first official marine energy park. The South West can build on its existing unique mix of renewable energy resource and home-grown academic, technical and industrial expertise.

“Marine power has huge potential in theUKnot just in contributing to a greener electricity supply and cutting emissions, but in supporting thousands of jobs in a sector worth a possible £15bn to the economy to 2050.

“TheUKis already a world leader in wave and tidal power, so we should capitalise on this leadership to make marine power a real contender in the future energy market.”

During his visit, the Minister launched the South West Marine Energy Park Prospectus which outlines how the region’s public and private sector will work together with the government and other key national bodies such as the Crown Estate. 

The work to develop theSouthWestMarineEnergyParkhas been commissioned by Cornwall Council and Plymouth City Council. The work was undertaken by Regen SW.

A copy of the SouthWestMarineEnergyParkprospectus is available to download here: Marine Energy Park prospectus

To manage the day-to-day operation of the testing facility on its behalf, BIS has set up a stand-alone operating company, Wave Hub Limited, which will be based in Hayle, Cornwall. This arrangement will allow the project to build on the operational plans already put in place by the RDA.

BIS and the RDA have been discussing the Wave Hub’s future since closure of the RDA was confirmed by the Government last summer.  BIS has always recognised Wave Hub’s unique position as a nationally-important asset to develop the UK’s capacity to generate energy through the power of ocean waves.

Business Minister Mark Prisk said “As part of the transition to a green economy the Government is committed to developing clean energy sources including marine. Development of the Wave Hub in Cornwall will bring both environmental and economic benefits to the UK and I am pleased that we are able to take this positive step today.” 

Claire Gibson has been confirmed as Wave Hub’s permanent General Manager having acted in an interim capacity since May. She said: “This is good news for Wave Hub, for Cornwall and the South West and for the future of wave energy development across the UK. 

“It secures Wave Hub’s status as a publicly-owned asset, ensures it will continue to be locally run, and reinforces the pivotal role of Wave Hub and Cornwall to the development of a commercial marine energy industry in the UK.

“I am delighted to be leading this important project and am absolutely committed to ensuring Wave Hub is a success – supporting companies to prove their technology and delivering economic benefit for Cornwall.  I look forward to welcoming our first customer at Wave Hub in the near future.”

The site has also been issued with a marine license by the Marine Management Organisation (MMO), which allows the mooring of marine energy converter devices.

The announcement, made at the Regen SW Renewable Futures conference inBath, is the latest step in the creation of a marine energy park in South West England.

The Park aims to pull together commercial and academic organisations and marine energy assets to create a vibrant and dynamic centre of marine energy in the region.

FabTest, which is not grid-connected, will enable wave energy generation device developers to conduct sea trials of their devices in moderate seas, close to port facilities. It is a stepping stone to the deployment of arrays of devices at Wave Hub, the world’s largest grid-connected wave energy demonstration facility installed 10 nautical miles off the north coast of Cornwall last year.

The management of the site will be undertaken by a partnership between FHC and the University of Exeter. The FabTest project has been driven by a steering group which has also included Wave Hub and the marine energy support industry including A&P Group and Mojo Maritime in Cornwall.

Mark Sansom, Chief Executive of Falmouth Harbour Commissioners, said: “FabTest offers a pre-consented area in Falmouth Bay licensed to test up to three devices at a time and we are delighted to have signed this lease with The Crown Estate. We will manage the facility and have already secured a licence from the MMO. This means we can offer developers a streamlined approval process for individual devices in an area with a range of depth and seabed types that does not interfere with marine traffic.”

Rob Hastings, Director of the Marine Estate, The Crown Estate said: “We are delighted to have leased this site for the FabTest project and look forward to seeing it being used to test devices.  As the emerging wave industry makes the transition from technology R&D to commercial project development, further technology testing is essential and FabTest offers to play an important supporting role.  The Crown Estate is also pleased to be working with Regen SW and other stakeholders in the south west of England to start planning for commercial-scale wave and tidal project development in the future.”

The Universityof Exeter’s Cornwall-based marine energy experts first proposed the idea of a nursery test site in Falmouth Bay and will help regulate the facility. Dr Lars Johanning, Senior Lecturer in Renewable Energy at the university, said: “FabTest will provide an opportunity to boost our already world-class research in marine renewable energy, including assessing the impact of the technologies on the marine habitat and the development of improved engineering solutions, prediction and modelling techniques.”

Johnny Gowdy Programme Director, Regen SW, said: “We are working with Cornwall Council and Plymouth City Council on the creation of a marine energy park in the South West and FabTest is another essential component in the region’s growing offer to the marine energy industry. We are delighted at today’s announcement, coinciding as it does with our Renewables Futures conference.”

Claire Gibson, General Manager at Wave Hub added: “FabTest is exactly what the industry has told us it needs and complements the growing marine energy assets and expertise we have in the South West region. It has been designed as a stepping stone to Wave Hub and will help device developers on the critical path to commercialisation.”

FabTest has also been welcomed by Plymouth University, which is currently building wave and tidal tank testing facilities in Plymouth that will be unique in theUK when they open next year.

Professor Julian Beer, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Regional Enterprise) at Plymouth University said: “When you combine our marine building with FabTest’s nearshore facilities, Wave Hub’s offshore grid-connected site, the marine supply chain and the region’s academic expertise, you have the knowledge and assets to take a marine energy project from prototype model to full scale testing of arrays, all in South West England. That’s what the marine energy park concept is all about.”

FabTest is also expected to play a key role in supporting the growth of marine businesses inCornwall.

Mike Reynolds, Port Operations Director at A&P Group’s Falmouth operation, which has a growing marine renewables business, said: “FabTest is what our customers need to test and develop their devices and systems before looking at deployments further offshore, so this is very welcome. The potential to construct, deploy and service these devices is a key part of our strategy to grow our business inCornwall. We expect FabTest to play an important role in realising this growth.”

FabTest offers developers the chance to undertake tests to investigate structural integrity, response behaviour, mooring and umbilical behaviour, subsea components, monitoring systems and deployment procedures in moderate sea conditions before deploying their devices in more energetic offshore conditions.

The Crown Estate lease and MMO consent is for five years and the three berths available will be let by Falmouth Harbour Commissioners on commercial terms.

For industry enquiries about FabTest please email info@fabtest.co.uk

A long-awaited review of the Renewables Obligation Certificate (ROC) scheme by the UK Government has been published today (October 20) and includes a raft of changes to how clean technologies are subsidised.

It includes an increase in the number of tradable ROCs awarded to wave and tidal energy projects from April 2013 from two ROCs per megawatt hour currently, to five ROCs per megawatt hour.

Claire Gibson, general manager at Wave Hub, which is the world’s largest grid-connected test site for wave energy technology, said: “The wave energy industry will welcome today’s announcement because it helps close the economic viability gap, which remains the biggest stumbling block to the commercial deployment of wave devices.

“That’s good news for Wave Hub because it means that device developers can rely on a much more supportive subsidy regime for the electricity they generate once they have a device in the water.”

Chris Huhne, UK Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, said wave and tidal were examples of technologies which “desperately need help to reach the market”, which is why support is being increased. Other more established forms of renewable energy, such as onshore wind, will see subsidies reduced.

The UK Government will consult on the proposed new regime between now and January 12 next year.

The Renewables Obligation was introduced in 2002 in England and obliges UK electricity suppliers to source an increasing proportion of electricity they supply to customers from renewable sources.  Operators of accredited renewable generating stations can then trade the ROCs with other parties, with the ROCs ultimately being used by suppliers to demonstrate that they have met their obligation.

Conference: the Renewable Futures conference attracts a unique line up of high level speakers providing insight into key market developments. Speakers in 2010 included Ian Marchant, chief executive of SSE and Jonathon Porritt.

Exhibition: the exhibition features leading businesses, buyers, supply chain companies and successful projects. There is plenty of space and opportunity to do business.

Awards: The event will draw to a close by celebrating the success of the sector over the previous 12 months with the glittering Green Energy Awards dinner.

Last year more than 300 delegates attended this high profile event including representatives from the public sector and local authorities, business leaders, policy influencers, key decision makers and a range of renewable and energy efficiency companies.

This year’s event will take place on 9 November at the Assembly Rooms in Bath and will be followed in the evening by the prestigious Green Energy Awards.

For more information visit the Regen SW website

The prestigious awards recognise the businesses, organisations and individuals that are pioneering sustainable techniques and technologies that will build the low-carbon economy of the future.

Wave Hub was shortlisted alongside leading national and international companies including HSBC, Tesco and British Sky Broadcasting.

Wave Hub general manager Claire Gibson collected the award at a ceremony in London last night (July 7) and paid tribute to the South West RDA (Regional Development Agency) for having the vision to invest in and develop the project.

She said: “Wave Hub has been eight years in the making and it is credit to the South West RDA that the project was finally installed off the north Cornwall coast last summer. Many didn’t believe it would be built but thanks to an excellent team at the RDA and our many contractors, Wave Hub is open for business and we are optimistic that the first wave energy device will be connected to the Hub next year.

“Wave Hub will be a critical piece of infrastructure supporting the UK’s wave energy industry long into the future.”

James Murray, editor of businessGreen, said: “The judges were hugely impressed by the quality of all the short listed entries and praised the winners as being at the forefront of efforts to build a sustainable and prosperous low carbon economy.”

businessGreen.com a business website that offers companies the latest news and best-practice advice on how to become more environmentally responsible, while still growing the bottom line.

The Duke, who is the UK’s Special Representative for International Trade and Investment, was briefed by Wave Hub general manager Claire Gibson about Wave Hub’s role as a national asset to promote the development of wave energy technology.

The Duke was on a tour of Cornwall that included visits to RNAS Culdrose where he originally trained as a helicopter pilot; the T.S.Robert Hichens sea cadets in Penryn; Rodda’s Creamery at Scorrier and Harvey’s Foundry in Hayle.

The Duke said: “The UK already leads the way in the development of marine renewables and Wave Hub has an important role to play in maintaining that position.”

Speaking after the visit Claire Gibson said: “The Duke was very interested in the progress of Wave Hub having first been briefed about it a few years ago.

“We were able to update him on the successful installation of Wave Hub last summer, the interest we have from a number of wave energy companies around the world, and our expectation that we will see the first wave energy device deployed for testing next year.”