Hydraulics and Maritime Research Centre nets an OWEL
From L-R: Mark Leybourne (OWEL Research Engineer), Florent Thiebaut (HMRC), Ned Minns (OWEL Chief Technical Officer), Elizabeth Walsh (HMRC).
From L-R: Mark Leybourne (OWEL Research Engineer), Florent Thiebaut (HMRC), Ned Minns (OWEL Chief Technical Officer), Elizabeth Walsh (HMRC).
With the continuing increase in the price of energy and the rise in demand for cleaner energy, the commercial prospects for ocean energy technology look promising. The performance of the converter was measured in realistic wave conditions, which is one of HMRC’s specialities. Designed to be an environmentally friendly device, it converts ocean wave energy safely to electricity.
The collaboration stems from MARINET (Marine Renewables Infrastructure Network for Emerging Energy Technologies), an EU FP7 funded marine renewable energy initiative, of which UCC is a partner and coordinator. The network contains 29 partners in total, managing 42 test facilities across 12 countries.
The initiative seeks to accelerate the development and commercial deployment of marine renewable energy by removing financial barriers associated with testing, and allowing companies and research centres to avail of expertise and free-of-charge facility access to world-class European test centres.
Ned Minns, lead engineer on the project, says, ‘The tests have confirmed that recent adjustments to the OWEL structure have improved the performance of the machine. The design of the first sea-going demonstrator can now be progressed with confidence.’
Marine energy, contained in the world’s waves and marine tidal currents, provides a relatively untapped source of renewable energy. The accessible wave energy around Ireland over a year is broadly equivalent to the energy supplied annually by Ireland’s main electricity suppliers, with a market value of approximately €2.7 billion per annum. OWEL’s proprietary device is in the final phase of development before its release as a commercial machine around the world.
HMRC will be welcoming three more companies under the MARINET scheme before the end of 2012. The second MARINET call is now open for companies or research groups who wish to test at any of the European marine facilities free-of-charge in 2013.
HMRC will feature the MARINET initiative at the forthcoming International Conference on Ocean Energy, to be held in Dublin on 17-19 October. This is the major biennial industrial conference for the sector. HMRC will form part of the Irish Maritime and Energy Resource Cluster showcase, taking place on board the Irish Naval Service vessel, L.É. Róisín, which will be moored in Dublin for the event.
For further information on the MARINET initiative, see www.fp7-marinet.eu or contact Mark Healy, MARINET Project Manager at marinet@ucc.ie Tel: +353 21 4250021.