Tech breakthrough powers Scotland’s wave energy

by John Howell,

Climate and Capital Media

Wind turbines altered to function underwater have now set industry records for generating nonstop power.

The AR1500 tidal energy turbine. Source: Lockheed Martin

“A very significant milestone.” That’s how Rémi Gruet, CEO Ocean Energy Europe, describes the latest news about the MeyGen project to generate electricity from oceanic tides.

For over six years, four modified wind turbines, sunk in 130 feet of water off Scotland’s coast, have produced power for 7,000 homes, with no maintenance required. That lack of maintenance is key to the commercial viability of sourcing energy from water.

Creating durable devices that can withstand the harsh sea environment has been a challenge for innovators and investors looking to develop marine energy – power generated from tides, currents, waves, or temperature changes. Regularly removing underwater devices for maintenance has previously made tidal energy cost prohibitive. Now, MeyGen, a six megawatt-per-hour project, owned by SAE Renewables and built in concert with Swedish firm SKF, has solved the problem. The project has recently reported that their sturdy underwater turbines have been working for over six years without having to be removed for repairs.

The implications are huge. Marine energy is the world’s largest untapped renewable energy resource, according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Oceans cover more than 70% of the planet’s surface and hold about 97% of the Earth’s water. Cracking the code on technology that can convert this vast resource into electricity holds the potential for a revolution in delivering the power of the future.

The MeyGen project was ambitiously designed for success on a big scale.

The largest planned tidal stream project of its kind in the world, it was carefully sited in some of the fastest flowing waters in the U.K. Located in the Pentland Firth, between the northeast tip of Scotland and the island of Stroma, the turbines sit in a channel that accelerates millions of tons of water flowing between the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, twice daily, because of its strong tidal currents, among the fastest in the world. A speed of over 18 miles per hour has been reported.

When the force of tides is amplified by overfalls and tidal races and whipped up by gale-force winds, extremely violent sea conditions can occur. Even average oceanic waves reach 6-10 feet and spring tides flow at 9 miles per hour. These waves and tidal flows generate significant power that innovators and investors in renewable energy have had their eye on for some time.

The high flows, medium water depths, and proximity to the mainland made the Pentland Firth a prime location for development, says SAE. The current six megawatt, four-turbine rig has been sending electricity to the Scottish grid for over eight years. MayGen intends to add 20 more turbines in 2030, after needed upgrades to the electrical grid are finished. The site could eventually consist of 400 turbines more powerful than those being used today, generating up to 398MW and powering, theoretically, 300,000 homes. (1GW can power 750,000 homes, assuming a consistent output.)

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The economic impact could be huge. A recent report outlines the potential of Scotland’s wave and tidal energy sector to generate $10 billion for the economy by 2050, supporting more than 15,000 jobs in coastal communities and the Highlands, and driving investments, according to the University of Edinburgh, which published the findings.

Marine energy also projects a larger impact, with potential deployments of 12GW throughout the U.K. and up to 300GW globally – enough to power millions of homes and buildings annually. This expansion could deliver up to 62,000 jobs for Scottish companies by 2050. The report concludes that the global market for marine energy over the same time frame could be worth as much as $37 billion to Scotland’s economy – more than 10% of its current annual GDP. Ironically, known to have been inhabited 8,500 years ago by Mesolithic and Neolithic tribes, the archipelago has recently emerged as a global leader for the power of the future. An extremely windy place, the amount of electricity generated locally from wind turbines exceeds demand. So, it’s no accident that the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) was established in the Orkneys in 2003 to “provide developers with the opportunity to test full-scale grid-connected prototype devices in wave and tidal conditions.”

Cold though they might be, for most people, the Orkney Islands are a global hot spot for renewable energy.

The Centre also offers support about innovative regulations, grid connection, and meteorological monitoring, as well as local research and engineering information and data. This is also an important part of developing the ocean as energy, as unprecedented regulatory issues, environmental effects, and conflicts with other ocean users will have to be resolved as underwater turbine fields scale up into larger size. How these issues are being addressed is the subject of a current exhibition, “Powered by People,” sponsored by EMEC at the Stromness Museum, Orkney. Exhibits map the islands’ remarkable history of pioneering renewable energy with technological innovation.

The potential being demonstrated by the MeyGen project is not limited to such a prime location. In the U.S., nearly 40% of the population lives in coastal communities. If all oceanic marine energy available were tapped, that power would equal almost 60% of America’s annual electricity needs, according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) of the U.S. Department of Energy.

Imagine the possibilities…

Article reprinted with Permission as part of GreenMoney’s ongoing collaboration with Climate and Capital Media.

Article by John Howell for Climate and Capital Media. John is a writer, editor, and broadcaster who advises on communications and media strategy. He was co-founder, editorial director, and chief of thought leadership for 3BL Media, for which he managed all original editorial content, wrote, and edited newsletters, and created the Brands Taking Stands initiative. He has worked as an editor and contributor for Elle, Artforum, and High Times magazines, developed new media for Hearst Magazines, and created communications for Calvin Klein, Polo/Ralph Lauren, and The Body Shop. He lives and works in New Hampshire and Maine.