Higher capacity and larger area approved for wave energy testing in stormy Orkney seas

A wave energy testing site in the stormy seas off the west coast of Orkney has expanded.

The European Marine Energy Centre (Emec) grid-connected site at Billia Croo has also increased its maximum generating capacity to 20MW after receiving crucial section-36 consent from Marine Scotland.

Subjected to the powerful forces of the North Atlantic Ocean, the area has some of the highest wave energy potential in Europe, with an average significant wave height of 2-3m. The site includes five cabled test berths in up to 70m of water, with an additional near-shore berth for shallow-water projects.

The new consent also means a wider ‘envelope’ of device types and operations has been approved. Devices with capacity over 1MW can now demonstrate at Billia Croo without additional applications for section-36 consent. The site has also expanded by 2.6km² to the north-west, enabling access to deeper water. 

“By Emec achieving a site-wide licence, we’re making it easier for our clients to get consents in place and further reducing the time and cost of testing in the sea,” said Amy Sutcliffe, Emec’s environment and consents officer.

Seascape, landscape and visual impact assessments were conducted alongside an environmental appraisal to support the section-36 application. The assessments also considered the potential environmental impacts that could occur during the installation, operation and decommissioning of devices.  

Projects that could benefit from the new consent include the OceanEnergy OE35, billed as the ‘world’s largest-capacity floating wave energy device’. Floating on the ocean’s surface, the OE35 incorporates a trapped air volume, with the lower part open to the sea. Wave pressures at the submerged opening cause the water to oscillate and drive the trapped air through a turbine to generate electricity. 

A project to design a 1MW device, up from a previous 500kW version, is ongoing.

The site-wide consent lasts until 2040.

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