Wave Energy Scotland funds studies

Wave Energy Scotland (WES) has awarded £250,000 to industry partners for three landscaping studies in wave energy materials, structural forces and technology transfer.

Arup’s team will lead the delivery of the research into structural forces and stresses, and the Institute for Materials and Processes at the University of Edinburgh will, with three other partners, carry out the materials research, WES’ press release reads.

WES has also commissioned a consortium of seven companies, led by Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult, to investigate the opportunities for technology transfer from more mature technology sectors into the wave sector.

The studies are expected to help WES identify the future requirements of the wave sector and enable WES to target technology development where it is most needed.

Tim Hurst, Managing Director of Wave Energy Scotland, said: “These studies will assist WES to understand where gaps exist in our understanding that will require future research or development in order to drive the development of wave devices. I have no doubt that there are reliable technologies used elsewhere in other industrial sectors which can be employed in developing wave energy technology.”

Stephen Wyatt, Strategy & Commercialisation Director at ORE Catapult, added: “Lessons can be learned, and innovative technologies adapted, from more established sectors such as aerospace and oil and gas. Working with WES and our consortium partners will enable us to identify those technologies from other sectors that could accelerate the pace of development for the wave energy industry.”

WES was set up as a subsidiary of Highlands and Islands Enterprise and is fully funded by the Scottish government. The organisation is seen as a fresh approach to tackling the issues which have proved challenging in the wave energy sector.