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N e w s
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World’s Largest Wave Power Project Wins Approval
22/01/09
npower renewables’ plan for a pioneering wave power scheme on the
Scottish island of Lewis has been given the green light – making
it the largest consented project of its kind.
Today, (22 January 2009) the Scottish Government granted consent
for the Siadar Wave Energy Project (SWEP), a decision welcomed
by both npower renewables1 and Inverness-based wave technology
company Wavegen2, who have been working together on the project
since 2006.
The scheme will harness power from the Atlantic waves in Siadar
Bay to generate up to four megawatts of electricity. The energy
produced each year could supply the average annual electricity
needs of around 1,500 homes in the Western Isles3.
The SWEP would be one of the first projects to operate under the
Scottish Government’s proposed multiple Renewable Obligation
Certificates (ROC)4 scheme, the revenue support system to
promote the development of marine energy generation.
npower renewables’ managing director Paul Cowling said:
“Scotland has immense potential in marine energy and the
opportunity to be a world leader in marine renewables. This
consent is an important milestone in the development of wave
power technology and is to be celebrated. However, commercial
demonstration projects such as Siadar still face significant
economic challenges.”
Matthew Seed, chief executive officer of Wavegen said: “Wavegen
is delighted that the Scottish Government has consented the
Siadar Wave Energy Project, validating the pioneering work
Wavegen and npower renewables have put into the project
development. The SWEP will be a major step in the development of
the wave energy industry in Scotland and worldwide. Wavegen’s
proven technology will now be employed at full commercial scale,
paving the way for real cost efficiencies which will bring the
cost of wave energy closer to that of more established
technologies.”
For more information on SWEP, visit
http://www.npower-renewables.com/siadar/index.asp
ENDS
INTERVIEW
OPPORTUNITIES
Media
Interviews are available with Bill Langley at npower renewables,
or Matthew Seed at Wavegen, please contact Alda Forbes/ Gill
Innes, npower renewables on 01738 825110 to arrange.
Photomontages
of the proposed scheme are available from npower renewables,
please contact Alda Forbes/ Gill Innes, npower renewables on
01738 835110.
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Notes to Editors
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npower
renewables is one of the UK’s leading renewable energy
developers and operators, committed to developing and
operating wind farms and hydro plant to produce sustainable
and environmentally-friendly electricity. The company
operates 17 hydroelectric power projects and 22 wind farms
in the UK, including the country’s first major offshore wind
farm, North Hoyle. npower renewables is also working with
marine energy technology partners to deliver new wave and
tidal stream power projects in the UK. Through our existing
projects and those in development, we are working in close
partnership with communities and companies throughout the
UK. As Government policy drives the UK towards a target of
supplying 10% of electricity from renewables by 2010, and
15% by 2015, we will be at the forefront of realising this
aim.
npower renewables is a fully owned subsidiary of RWE Innogy,
and sister company to RWE npower, a leading integrated UK
energy company with around 6.8 million customer accounts.
RWE npower also owns and operates a flexible portfolio of
conventional power stations as well as a portfolio of
cogeneration plant producing more than 10% of the
electricity used in England and Wales.
For further information about npower renewables and RWE
Innogy visit
http://www.npower-renewables.com and
www.rweinnogy.com
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Wavegen,
based in Inverness, developed and operates Limpet, the
world’s first commercial-scale wave energy plant, grid
connected since 2000. Wavegen technology is currently being
installed in the Basque Country, Spain where Ente Vasco de
la Energía’s Mutriku project is expected to be Spain’s first
grid-connected wave energy plant. Wavegen is owned by Voith
Siemens Hydro Power Generation a group division of Voith AG.
For further details on Wavegen visit
www.wavegen.com or on
Voith Siemens, visit
www.voithsiemens.com
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It is
estimated that the SWEP will produce approximately 8,000MWh
per year based on an assumed installed capacity of 4MW. This
is enough to supply the average annual electricity needs of
around 1,500 homes in the Western Isles. This is based on
the UK average annual domestic electricity consumption of
approximately 4700kWh per year over the life of the SWEP.
This figure may change as average domestic electricity
consumption changes.
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The Renewable
Obligation Certificate (ROCs) sees government subsidies paid
to energy companies for every unit of renewable energy
produced. The Renewables Obligation (Scotland) came into
force in April 2002 and is one way of pursuing the Scottish
Government’s renewable energy objectives. The RO target for
2008/09 was 9.1 per cent, rising to 15.4 per cent in 2015/16
and 30-35 per cent by 2020.
The UK Government will introduce banding of the Renewables
Obligation this year, with the most established technology,
landfill gas, getting 0.25 ROC/MWh, and emerging
technologies such as wave and tidal getting 2 ROCS/MWh. The
Scottish Government will introduce higher bands for wave
(5ROCS/MWh) and tidal (3ROCs/MWh)
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The
technology used is called “oscillating water column”. Ocean
waves move air in and out of chambers in a breakwater, which
in turn drives Wavegen’s turbine, known as the Wells
turbine, to generate electricity.
Media Contacts:
Alda Forbes Tel: 01738 825 124
e-mail
alda.forbes@npower-renewables.com
Gill Innes Tel :01738 825 132
e-mail
gill.innes@npower-renewables.com
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