Description
Mocean Energy, based in Edinburgh, developed wave energy converters (WECs) for various applications from smallscale off-grid use to large, utility-scale projects. Its core technology is its hinged raft WEC, which consists of two hulls with novel shapes connected by a single hinge. Wave forcing, and the hulls’ dynamics cause a rotation about the hinge, which is converted to electricity via a power take-off system. The Renewables for Subsea Power (RSP) system is an offshore renewable power source that charges batteries to supply power and comms to subsea equipment, and it consists of:
- Blue X: wave energy converter (WEC) – Mocean Energy (also referred to as M100P)
- Halo: Subsea battery storage and energy management – Verlume
- Subsea electronics Module (SEM) – Baker Hughes.
- ARV-I and a docking station: Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV): Transmark Subsea.
An umbilical connected Blue X with the Halo, however, the device was not connected to a subsea cable to provide power onshore. This was a demonstration project. Testing took place in an area to the East and offshore of Deerness, Orkney in 2023/2024. The primary purpose of testing was to gather performance data and learnings from deployment of the RSP system in order to inform further development of the system’s designs and interfaces.
Location
EAST OF Deerness, Orkney, Scotland
Licensing Information
Mocean submitted a Marine Licence application under Part 4, Section 54 of the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 for this deployment.
Project Progress
The installation of the RSP system and its associated mooring system was completed on the 28th February 2023, with an extended operational period to March 2024. To allow some contingency in the programme, the marine licence application covered the period until (and including) September 2024. Thereafter, taking into consideration the 3 month recovery condition on the current licence 10107 all equipment was completely removed from site by the 30th June 2024.
Key Environmental Issues
Key environmental issues addressed in the Environmental Management Plan that was submitted as part of the Marine Licence application include:
- Underwater noise
- Disturbance to cetaceans, seals, basking sharks
- Introduction of marine invasive non-native species (INNS)
- Seabed disturbance
- Entanglement risk (cetaceans, seals and basking sharks)
- Displacement of marine mammals, basking shark and seabirds
Papers, Reports, Research Studies
Environmental Management Plan report submitted with Marine Licence application: https://marine.gov.scot/sites/default/files/morcean_marine_licence_vari…