Scottish fish farm to trial wave energy

Aquaculture may form a major customer for the output of wave energy generation devices in the future if a new collaboration between Wave Energy Scotland (WES), a subsidiary of Highlands and Islands Enterprise, and wave technology developer Albatern is followed-up. WES has announced a £720,000 partnership to demonstrate wave energy converters as a means of powering offshore aquaculture installations and, potentially, remote island communities.

Albatern has teamed up with one of the world’s largest seafood companies, Marine Harvest, which is hosting the project next to its Maclean’s Nose fish farm site south of Ardnamurchan, Scotland.

Tim Hurst, WES Managing Director, explained: ‘This project brings together Scotland’s largest fish farming company and an established wave energy technology developer with industry-ready devices. This collaboration will help us to understand the market opportunities for small scale wave technology at aquaculture sites and in other off-grid situations.

Marine Harvest Scotland’s spokesman, Steve Bracken agreed: ‘Our aquaculture sites along Scotland’s coastline all need energy, usually in the form of diesel. If this new technology is effective in Scotland, it has the potential to contribute positively and sustainably to our operations worldwide.’

 ·         Meanwhile, Wave energy company Aquamarine Power has called in administrators to seek a sale or investment via the administration process. The pioneering wave energy developer has been testing its full-scale Oyster wave energy machines at the European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney. Aquamarine Power Chief Executive Officer Paddy O’Kane said: ‘Today’s news underscores the financial as well as technical challenge in bringing an entirely new form of energy generation to commercialisation.’