The location of the grid-connected platform is assumed to be the same as the Ocean Sentinel, but additional customer surveys and discussions may result in a change of siting. Like the Scottish test platform, it will consist of multiple berths to allow for the concurrent testing and demonstration of different technologies.
Wave energy technology remains at a nascent stage in the U.S., in part because of the high cost of testing new devices. Unlike wind or solar, wave capture devices are at the mercy of the oceans. Even so, a huge array of prototype devices have been emerging in recent years.
One of the most successful so far was developed by the Scottish firm Pelamis, whose giant wave machines long tubular design has led to them becoming known as “sea snakes”.
Their success has led to a string of high-profile energy companies ordering the devices and in 2008, Pelamis created the world’s first commercial-scale wave-power station off the Portuguese coast.