Selkie Project Launches Tender Call for Wave Energy Developers

Ireland-Wales cooperation programme, the Selkie project, is inviting wave energy developers to tender their services to validate multi-use engineering tools, templates, standards and models, which can be used across the sector in both Wales and Ireland.

The Selkie project is bringing together researchers and businesses to improve the performance of marine energy devices and technologies.

University College Cork are leading the project in partnership with Marine Energy Wales, Menter Môn, Swansea University, DP Energy Ireland and Gavin and Doherty Geosolutions.

The project is funded by the European Union’s European Regional Development Fund through the Ireland Wales Cooperation programme.

The aims of the project are to:

• Establish a cross-border network of Ocean Energy SMEs and supply chain companies;
• Conduct industry-academic collaborative R&D projects;
• Transfer R&D knowledge to wave and tidal industry/SME stakeholders, thereby advancing the technology sector as a whole;
• Assist Irish and Welsh SMEs to progress along the path to commercialisation.

Selkie will achieve these aims by developing:

• Techno-economic Models
• Foundations and Mooring Design
• Physical and Numerical Array Modelling
• Sensor Optimisation and Data Analysis
• Operations and Maintenance (O&M) and Logistics Models

Selkie will test and validate the technology tools on two pilot demo technologies: one wave and one tidal technology (chosen via open tender). The pilot testing will advance the knowledge for Wales and Ireland SMEs in general, using a structured development path for testing and improvement of ocean energy devices in terms of their reliability, survivability, operability, stability and commercial viability.

The pilot projects will have three stages:

• The selected companies will work alongside the Selkie team to ensure the Selkie tools are fit for purpose and then to use the tools in application to the pilot project.
• The pilot company will undertake trials that are necessary to validate the Selkie tools (within the allocated timescale and budget).
• There will be a period of post pilot data analysis and review, to show how the pilot device was performing and to establish the potential of the tools to progress the industry.

Further information and details for application are HERE.

The deadline for application is March 30, 2020.