The British energy company Aquamarine Power has raised six million pounds (nine million dollars) for the production and installation of a new device for generating electricity from waves, paving the way for the construction of the first commercial power plant that will rely on the power of the sea.
Aquamarine is a privately owned company and has raised funds by selling shares. By 2020, it plans to collaborate with the energy company SSE Renewables to build capacities of up to 1,000 MW. In the first round of concession awards for the construction of facilities that will use waves and tidal shifts as a driving force, Aquamarine Power has acquired the right to build a 200 MW power plant on the Scottish coast, which could supply energy to about 190,000 homes.The Oyster 1 device has been tested at the European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney and connected to the distribution network. The company hopes that the new Oyster 2 device will be operational next summer. ‘Raising additional funds allows us to initiate the next phase – the production and installation of Oyster 2. We will soon announce who we will entrust with these jobs,’ reported the company’s director Martin McAdam. (H)
