Pelamis Wave Power
Encyclopedia
Pelamis Wave Power designs and manufactures the Pelamis Wave Energy Converter
–a technology that uses the motion of ocean surface wave
s to create electricity. The company was established in 1998 and has offices and fabrication facilities in Leith
Docks, Edinburgh
, Scotland
.
. Originally named 'Ocean Power Delivery', the company changed its name in September 2007.
In 2004 the company installed and tested their first full scale prototype at the European Marine Energy Centre
in Orkney, Scotland
, becoming the first commercial scale, offshore, wave power machine to successfully generate electricity into the national grid. A commercial order for three 750 kW machines followed this successful demonstration of the Pelamis technology, resulting in the installation of three Pelamis Wave Energy Converters in 2008, the Aguçadoura Wave Farm. Located off the northwest coast of Portugal near Póvoa de Varzim the project was funded by Portuguese utility Enersis [13], at the time were owned by Australian global investment company Babcock & Brown[14]. The farm first generated electricity in July 2008 but was taken offline in November 2008 at the same time as Babcock & Brown encountered financal difficulties.[15].
In February 2009, Pelamis Wave Power secured an order from German utility company E.on
for a new generation Pelamis Wave Energy Converter, termed the P2,. The machine was installed and grid connected for the first time at EMEC in October 2010, where it is now being tested. An additional order for a P2 machine has been placed by Scottish Power
Renewables in March 2010.
Current projects under development include a a joint project with Swedish utility Vattenfall
to develop the Aegir wave farm
off the coast of Shetland, and three 50MW sites in the Pentland Firth area, resulting from The Crown Estate seabed leasing round in March 2010.
In May 2011, the company announced that it was to make a number of redundancies. This follows the completion of the manufacture of its second P2 machine and a move into a testing and operations phase.
Guardian/Library House "CleanTech 100" list. Voted seventh in the inaugural Guardian/Library House, which showcased the best in European clean technology companies.
2007
Ocean Energy Pioneer Technology Award, Energy Ocean, Hawaii
Ocean Energy Pioneer Company Award, Energy Ocean, Hawaii
Best Renewable Energy Company, British Renewable Energy Awards
Trophée de l’économie positive, HEC, Paris
2004
Tornado Insider Top 100 Europe
2003
Emerging Technology of the Year, Euromoney and Ernst & Young
Innovation Award, The Carbon Trust
Best Renewable Technology, Scottish Green Energy Awards
Pelamis wave energy converter
The 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....
–a technology that uses the motion of ocean surface wave
Ocean surface wave
In fluid dynamics, wind waves or, more precisely, wind-generated waves are surface waves that occur on the free surface of oceans, seas, lakes, rivers, and canals or even on small puddles and ponds. They usually result from the wind blowing over a vast enough stretch of fluid surface. Waves in the...
s to create electricity. The company was established in 1998 and has offices and fabrication facilities in Leith
Leith
-South Leith v. North Leith:Up until the late 16th century Leith , comprised two separate towns on either side of the river....
Docks, Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
History
The company was founded in 1998 by Richard Yemm, Chris Retzler and Dave Pizer with the aim of commercialising the Pelamis Wave Energy ConverterPelamis wave energy converter
The 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....
. Originally named 'Ocean Power Delivery', the company changed its name in September 2007.
In 2004 the company installed and tested their first full scale prototype at the European Marine Energy Centre
European Marine Energy Centre
The European Marine Energy Centre 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...
in Orkney, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, becoming the first commercial scale, offshore, wave power machine to successfully generate electricity into the national grid. A commercial order for three 750 kW machines followed this successful demonstration of the Pelamis technology, resulting in the installation of three Pelamis Wave Energy Converters in 2008, the Aguçadoura Wave Farm. Located off the northwest coast of Portugal near Póvoa de Varzim the project was funded by Portuguese utility Enersis [13], at the time were owned by Australian global investment company Babcock & Brown[14]. The farm first generated electricity in July 2008 but was taken offline in November 2008 at the same time as Babcock & Brown encountered financal difficulties.[15].
In February 2009, Pelamis Wave Power secured an order from German utility company E.on
E.ON
E.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....
for a new generation Pelamis Wave Energy Converter, termed the P2,. The machine was installed and grid connected for the first time at EMEC in October 2010, where it is now being tested. An additional order for a P2 machine has been placed by Scottish Power
Scottish Power
ScottishPower Ltd. is a vertically integrated energy company with its headquarters in Glasgow, Scotland. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index but in 2006 it became a subsidiary of the Spanish utility Iberdrola...
Renewables in March 2010.
Current projects under development include a a joint project with Swedish utility Vattenfall
Vattenfall
Vattenfall is a Swedish power company. The name Vattenfall is Swedish for waterfall, and is an abbreviation of its original name, Royal Waterfall Board...
to develop the Aegir wave farm
Aegir wave farm
The Aegir wave farm is a planned wave farm off the south west of Shetland. The project is developed by Aegir Wave Power, a 2009 formed joint venture of Vattenfall and the wave power technology developer Pelamis Wave Power. The wave farm will have a capacity from 10 upt to 100 MW. It will...
off the coast of Shetland, and three 50MW sites in the Pentland Firth area, resulting from The Crown Estate seabed leasing round in March 2010.
In May 2011, the company announced that it was to make a number of redundancies. This follows the completion of the manufacture of its second P2 machine and a move into a testing and operations phase.
Awards
2008Guardian/Library House "CleanTech 100" list. Voted seventh in the inaugural Guardian/Library House, which showcased the best in European clean technology companies.
2007
Ocean Energy Pioneer Technology Award, Energy Ocean, Hawaii
Ocean Energy Pioneer Company Award, Energy Ocean, Hawaii
Best Renewable Energy Company, British Renewable Energy Awards
Trophée de l’économie positive, HEC, Paris
2004
Tornado Insider Top 100 Europe
2003
Emerging Technology of the Year, Euromoney and Ernst & Young
Innovation Award, The Carbon Trust
Best Renewable Technology, Scottish Green Energy Awards