Offshore staff
ABERDEEN, UK – Mocean Energy’s Blue X wave energy prototype has been delivered to Hatston Pier at Kirkwall, capital of the Orkney Islands in northern Scotland.
Sea trials of the 20-m (65.6-ft) long, 38-metric ton (41.88-ton) wave machine are due to take place this summer. Over the next few days Blue X will undergo testing in Kirkwall Harbour prior to being towed anti-clockwise around Orkney to Copland’s Dock, Stromness.
It will then be deployed at the European Marine Energy Centre’s Scapa Flow test site for an initial set of sea trials, and will later be relocated to EMEC’s grid connected wave test site at Billia Croo on the west coast of Orkney.
Next year, the device should be connected to a subsea battery to power a remotely operated autonomous underwater vehicle, with potential applications in the offshore sector.
Wave Energy Scotland is supporting the demonstration at EMEC along with Interreg North-West Europe’s Ocean DEMO project.
Neil Kermode, Manging Director at EMEC, said Scapa Flow would provide a smaller-scale, gentler test program ahead of full Atlantic Ocean conditions at Billia Croo.
“Getting metal wet and testing technologies for prolonged periods is vital to prove performance, reliability and survivability, as well as how to install, operate, maintain, and decommission such structures.”
Earlier this year Mocean Energy announced a project with the Oil and Gas Technology Centre in Aberdeen, Harbour Energy and subsea specialists EC-OG and Modus to demonstrate the potential of the Blue X prototype to power a subsea battery and ROV, using onshore testing at EC-OG’s Aberdeen facility.
AJS Production in eastern Scotland fabricated the Blue X wave machine, with the University of Edinburgh supplying its CGEN generator. Supply Design and Blackfish Engineering Design were also involved in the project.
05/14/2021
