Making waves in the energy sector


It is estimated that the 40MW farm off the north-west coast of Lewis will ultimately produce enough energy to power around 30,000 homes.

Wave energy firm Aquamarine Power said it would begin installing its Oyster devices in the next few years, once grid infrastructure is put in place. The project will be carried out by Aquamarine subsidiary Lewis Wave Power Limited.

Aquamarine is currently testing its second full scale wave machine, known as the Oyster 800, at the European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney, and is now producing electrical power to the grid.

Chief executive Martin McAdam described the granting of planning permission for the farm as a "significant milestone" for the company. "The goal of our industry is to become commercial, and to do this we need two things - reliable technologies and a route to market. Our engineers are currently working hard on getting the technology right and we now have a site where we can install our first small farm, with a larger-scale commercial build out in the years ahead."