Microsoft Word Report 11 02 Wave Power final ex appendix doc

Test sites
Crucial for the development of wave po-
wer devices is localities to test them with 
existing framework permits, infrastruc-
ture (primarily grid connection), support 
resources etc. 
There are a small number of test sites 
that has been used by individual deve-
lopers although typically without grid 
connection. Examples of test sites in the 
Nordic countries are Islandsberg outside 
Lysekil (Seabased), Nissum Bredum and 
Hanstholm in Denmark and Risör in 
Norway. The only grid-connected site 
is Vattenfall’s test site outside Runde 
in Norway (there is cable to shore at 
Islandsberg but it not connected to the 
grid).
The flagship test facility for wave power 
is the European Marine Energy Centre 
(EMEC) on Orkney, which has been in 
operation since 2004. It has four single 
device berths with grid connection and 
includes various support resources on 
shore e.g. data monitoring. EMEC is pri-
marily designed for short term testing of 
prototypes. 
The first real offshore test facility, Wave-
hub, is currently under construction off 
the north coast of Cornwall in the UK. 
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WAVE POWER
ELFORSK
It will have four berths with grid con-
nection of up to 4-5 MW each allowing 
for testing of small arrays. The publicly 
funded Wavehub is expected to be ope-
rational in 2010 or more probably 2011 
at a total cost of £42 million. 
A similar test facility is planned in Ire-
land called WETS (Wave Energy Test 
Site). The location outside Belmullet on 
the Irish west coast is probably among 
the most energetic wave power sites in 
Europe and will be a challenging test for 
wave power devices. WETS is planned 
to be in operation 2013-14. There also 
plans for more or less similar facilities in 
Portugal, Spain and France but yet unk-
nown how firm they are.
In the Nordic countries there are sugges-
tions in Denmark to make Hanstholm a 
test facility but with a lower ambition 
than e.g. the U.K. sites. Kvitsöy in Nor-
way has also been suggested as a test site 
but lack of interest from the Norwegian 
authorities seems to have stopped this 
development. That there is interest for a 
test site in the Nordic countries can be 
concluded from several inquiries to use 
the Vattenfall site outside Runde.
Wave power projects 
in the near future
There have so far been relatively few 
wave power demonstration projects at 
anything near full scale and grid con-
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* Wave and Tidal Energy Support Scheme (WATES), £10 Million allocated to wave and tidal 
projects. Now to be followed by the £12 Million WATERS fund.
** Marine Renewables Proving Fund (MRPF), a one-off £22 Million allocation shared by four tidal 
projects and the two wave projects above out of some 30 applicants.