European Marine Energy Centre
Encyclopedia
The European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) is a research centre focusing on wave and tidal power development based in the Orkney Islands, UK. It claims to provide developers with the opportunity to test full-scale grid-connected prototype devices in unrivalled wave and tidal conditions. The operations are spread over three sites:
EMEC was established by a grouping of public sector organisations following a recommendation by the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee
in 2001. The centre offers, apart from access to water with high wave and tidal energy potential, various kinds of support regarding regulatory issues, grid connection and meteorological monitoring as well as local research and engineering support.
EMEC’s wave test facility is placed on the western edge of the Orkney mainland, in an area with one of the highest wave energy
potentials in Europe. The exposed North Sea location means the island group is subjected to the powerful dynamic forces of the North Atlantic Ocean. Construction of the wave test facility was completed in October 2003, and operational activities commenced shortly thereafter. The Centre's facilities consist of four test berths situated along the 50m water depth contour off Billia Croo, Stromness on the Orkney mainland (some 2 km offshore). A shallow water berth situated close to the substation is also currently under construction.
The following have been installed or are expected to be so soon :
The remaining berths are provisionally allocated pending contractual completion with other developers.
Further infrastructure works continue at Billia Croo to provide a laydown area for future developers to use, similar to that already created at the tidal site. Other site works which have completed include an upgrade to the Black Craig lookout point, which includes the facilities for stationed wildlife observers. These trained observers and a high-spec camera will provide essential baseline data for the wave test site.
test site at the Fall of Warness, to the west of the island of Eday
, was chosen for its high velocity marine currents which reach almost 4m/sec (7.8 knots) at spring tides. The facility offers five test berths at depths ranging from 25m to 50m in an area 2 km across and approximately 4 km in length.
From each developer berth, the subsea cables follow back along the seabed and then pass under the beach and into an external housing next to the substation. An adjacent laydown area then provides an optional area for developers to use conditioning equipment for converting from the level at which they are generate to grid compliant electricity. Underground ducts then connect the cables through to the switchboard in the substation building. The substation building has four separate areas: the HV switchroom, communications room, personnel room and the standby generator room.
The test site was officially opened by Scotland's First Minister in September 2007.
The first developer to use the site is Dublin based OpenHydro, who began the installation of their open centred turbine in 2006. Full testing is now underway, with their device becoming the first to be grid connected in Scotland and subsequently the first tidal stream generator
to successfully generate electricity to the National Grid in the UK.
OpenHydro are pleased with the outcome and are moving into the next phase of their testing. This has involved placing a blank turbine on the seabed adjoining their installed device, using the specially commissioned “OpenHydro Installer” in summer 2008.
Tidal Generation Ltd were on site during 2008, undertaking preparation works for deploying their device in 2009.
Hammerfest Strom UK Ltd has deployed an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler
(ADCP) and turbulence meter at the site, preparatory to their device deployment in 2010.
Other developers are planning preparation works, with deployments of further tidal turbines scheduled for 2009 and 2010.
The wildlife observations at the test site which have been underway since June 2005 are continuing to provide essential baseline environmental data. Further baseline data gathering projects are planned to commence soon.
The involvement within the research field has led EMEC to occupy a unique position, having links with a range of different developers and devices, as well as academic institutions and regulatory bodies. EMEC is independent of any developer or device, as EMEC aims to ensure that different devices are monitored in a consistent way, using the best available methods. Independence of EMEC also encourages the dissemination of monitoring information can be carried out throughout the industry.
with the EMEC, for the power generated from their wave and tidal devices in the Orkney Islands.
- Billia Croo, Mainland (wave powerWave powerWave power is the transport of energy by ocean surface waves, and the capture of that energy to do useful work — for example, electricity generation, water desalination, or the pumping of water...
) - Fall of Warness, off the island of EdayEdayEday is one of the Orkney Islands, which are located to the north of the Scottish mainland in the United Kingdom. Eday is located in the North Isles of Orkney, and is about north of the main island of Orkney Mainland...
(tidal powerTidal powerTidal power, also called tidal energy, is a form of hydropower that converts the energy of tides into useful forms of power - mainly electricity....
) - StromnessStromnessStromness is the second-biggest town in Orkney, Scotland. It is in the south-west of Mainland Orkney. It is also a parish, with the town of Stromness as its capital.-Etymology:...
(office and data facilities)
EMEC was established by a grouping of public sector organisations following a recommendation by the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee
Science and Technology Select Committee
The Science and Technology Select Committee is a select committee of the House of Commons in the Parliament of the United Kingdom.The original Science and Technology was abolished upon the creation of the Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills Committee on November 6, 2007...
in 2001. The centre offers, apart from access to water with high wave and tidal energy potential, various kinds of support regarding regulatory issues, grid connection and meteorological monitoring as well as local research and engineering support.
Wave power
Wave power
Wave power is the transport of energy by ocean surface waves, and the capture of that energy to do useful work — for example, electricity generation, water desalination, or the pumping of water...
potentials in Europe. The exposed North Sea location means the island group is subjected to the powerful dynamic forces of the North Atlantic Ocean. Construction of the wave test facility was completed in October 2003, and operational activities commenced shortly thereafter. The Centre's facilities consist of four test berths situated along the 50m water depth contour off Billia Croo, Stromness on the Orkney mainland (some 2 km offshore). A shallow water berth situated close to the substation is also currently under construction.
The following have been installed or are expected to be so soon :
- Pelamis Wave Power (PWP) installed their protoype Pelamis 750 devicePelamis wave energy converterThe Pelamis Wave Energy Converter is a technology that uses the motion of ocean surface waves to create electricity. The machine is made up of connected sections which flex and bend as waves pass; it is this motion which is used to generate electricity....
on site for full-scale testing in August 2004. This wave energy conversion machine was the first in the world to generate electricity into a grid system from offshore wave energy. To date PWP have continued to undertake various tests as part of their ongoing development programme.
- E.ON deployed and are currently testing a second-generation Pelamis P-2 device in conjunction with Pelamis Wave Power in 2010..
- AW Energy from Finland undertook stand-alone mechanical testing in 2005 in the shallower waters at the test site.
- Aquamarine Power Ltd installed their OysterOyster wave energy converterThe Oyster is a hydro-electric wave energy device that uses the motion of ocean waves to generate electricity. It is made up of a Power Connector Frame , which is bolted to the seabed, and a Power Capture Unit . The PCU is a hinged buoyant flap that moves back and forth with movement of the waves...
wave power device on the seabed in August 2009 and generated electricity for the first time in November of the same year. Aquamarine plan to install their Oyster 2 wave energy converter in the summer of 2011 .
- Ocean Power Technologies was scheduled to deploy their PowerBuoy in 2009, it is now expected in 2010.
- Wello, a Finish based company, plan to install their Penguin wave energy converter in 2011.
The remaining berths are provisionally allocated pending contractual completion with other developers.
Further infrastructure works continue at Billia Croo to provide a laydown area for future developers to use, similar to that already created at the tidal site. Other site works which have completed include an upgrade to the Black Craig lookout point, which includes the facilities for stationed wildlife observers. These trained observers and a high-spec camera will provide essential baseline data for the wave test site.
Tidal power
The tidal powerTidal power
Tidal power, also called tidal energy, is a form of hydropower that converts the energy of tides into useful forms of power - mainly electricity....
test site at the Fall of Warness, to the west of the island of Eday
Eday
Eday is one of the Orkney Islands, which are located to the north of the Scottish mainland in the United Kingdom. Eday is located in the North Isles of Orkney, and is about north of the main island of Orkney Mainland...
, was chosen for its high velocity marine currents which reach almost 4m/sec (7.8 knots) at spring tides. The facility offers five test berths at depths ranging from 25m to 50m in an area 2 km across and approximately 4 km in length.
From each developer berth, the subsea cables follow back along the seabed and then pass under the beach and into an external housing next to the substation. An adjacent laydown area then provides an optional area for developers to use conditioning equipment for converting from the level at which they are generate to grid compliant electricity. Underground ducts then connect the cables through to the switchboard in the substation building. The substation building has four separate areas: the HV switchroom, communications room, personnel room and the standby generator room.
The test site was officially opened by Scotland's First Minister in September 2007.
The first developer to use the site is Dublin based OpenHydro, who began the installation of their open centred turbine in 2006. Full testing is now underway, with their device becoming the first to be grid connected in Scotland and subsequently the first tidal stream generator
Tidal stream generator
A tidal stream generator, often referred to as a tidal energy converter is a machine that extracts energy from moving masses of water, in particular tides, although the term is often used in reference to machines designed to extract energy from run of river or tidal estuarine sites...
to successfully generate electricity to the National Grid in the UK.
OpenHydro are pleased with the outcome and are moving into the next phase of their testing. This has involved placing a blank turbine on the seabed adjoining their installed device, using the specially commissioned “OpenHydro Installer” in summer 2008.
Tidal Generation Ltd were on site during 2008, undertaking preparation works for deploying their device in 2009.
Hammerfest Strom UK Ltd has deployed an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler
Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler
An Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler is a sonar that attempts to produce a record of water current velocities for a range of depths. They are made of ceramic materials, and contain transducers, an amplifier, a receiver, a mixer, an oscillator, a clock, a temperature sensor, a compass, a pitch and...
(ADCP) and turbulence meter at the site, preparatory to their device deployment in 2010.
Other developers are planning preparation works, with deployments of further tidal turbines scheduled for 2009 and 2010.
The wildlife observations at the test site which have been underway since June 2005 are continuing to provide essential baseline environmental data. Further baseline data gathering projects are planned to commence soon.
Marine industry standards
EMEC has coordinated the development of a suite of standards on behalf of the marine renewable energy industry. Each document has been progressed by a working group with individuals representing technology developers, regulators, academia, utilities, and project developers – a true cross-section of the marine energy industry. These standards have recently been launched and are available free for download from the EMEC website: EMEC Standards.Research and monitoring
For most developers coming to deploy at EMEC, installation at these facilities will be the first time their device has been in the open sea and grid connected. They typically will not have a track record which indicates the type and extent of interactions between the device and the receiving environment. Therefore, whilst the central purpose of EMEC is to provide an operational test facility, there is also a key role in establishing and facilitating monitoring of devices in relation to their impacts on the receiving environment. The main driver to this has been through the consenting process, which requires developers to consider environmental issues prior to testing at EMEC and to mitigate against any potential for negative impact.The involvement within the research field has led EMEC to occupy a unique position, having links with a range of different developers and devices, as well as academic institutions and regulatory bodies. EMEC is independent of any developer or device, as EMEC aims to ensure that different devices are monitored in a consistent way, using the best available methods. Independence of EMEC also encourages the dissemination of monitoring information can be carried out throughout the industry.
Power Purchase Agreement
SmartestEnergy has signed a Power Purchase AgreementPower Purchase Agreement
Power Purchase Agreements are contracts between two parties, one who generates electricity for the purpose of sale and one who is looking to purchase electricity . There are various forms of Power Purchase Agreements; these are differentiated by the source of energy harnessed...
with the EMEC, for the power generated from their wave and tidal devices in the Orkney Islands.
See also
- E.ONE.ONE.ON AG, marketed with an interpunct as E•ON, is the holding company of the world's largest investor-owned energy service provider based in Düsseldorf, Germany. The name comes from the Greek word aeon which means eternity....
- Renewable energy in ScotlandRenewable energy in ScotlandThe production of renewable energy in Scotland is an issue that has come to the fore in technical, economic, and political terms during the opening years of the 21st century. The natural resource base for renewables is extraordinary by European, and even global standards...
- Aotearoa Wave and Tidal Energy AssociationAotearoa Wave and Tidal Energy AssociationThe Aotearoa Wave and Tidal Energy Association is a New Zealand organisation established in 2006 to promote renewable energy from marine sources. This includes energy from tides, waves and ocean currents....
in New Zealand