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Press Release 18 May 2010
Voith Hydro
Wavegen passes 50,000 generating hours milestone.
Inverness, Scotland: Voith Hydro
Wavegen's Limpet plant on the Scottish island of Islay has
clocked up over 50,000 grid connected generating hours.
Commissioned in November 2000, the Limpet plant was the world’s
first commercial scale, grid connected wave energy plant. It now
operates as a demonstration facility for new generation Wells
turbines. All of the Wavegen standard machine sizes (20kW, 100kW
and 250kW) have been extensively tested, with demonstration
turbines for the Siadar (Scotland) and Mutriku (Spain) projects
in ongoing tests.
Voith Hydro Wavegen's unrivalled
grid connected operating experience has resulted in availability
levels comparable with long established renewable energy
technologies, and close to those achieved in conventional power
generation. Over the last 3 years the annual average
availability of the Mutriku demonstration turbine has increased
from 90% to over 95%. Reliability is the first requirement for
commercial investment in projects and this is clearly recognised
by:
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EVE, the Basque Energy
Board, with commissioning of the Mutriku project due in late
2010;
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RWE npower renewables, whose
4MW Siadar Wave Energy Project on the Isle of Lewis received
planning consent in 2009, with completion planned for 2012.
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Voith Hydro Wavegen has also
provided the first commercial guarantees in the wave energy
sector, with availability and performance fundamental to each
investment decision. Further technical guarantees, and equipment
warranties are also provided.
Matthew Seed, CEO of Voith Hydro
Wavegen, commented: “Clients want, first and foremost, proven
and reliable technology which gives a sound basis for commercial
investment. They know that new technologies will become more
cost effective through performance improvements and cost
reduction. Voith’s Engineered Reliability has a worldwide
reputation, and Voith Hydro Wavegen is proud to deliver to this
standard.”
Voith Hydro is a
Group Division of Voith and - with a workforce of currently
almost 4,700 employees and an order intake of almost 1,3 billion
Euros in the business year 2008/2009 – belongs to the world-wide
leading companies for hydro power equipment.
Voith is a global
leader in the paper, energy, mobility and service industries.
Founded on 1st January 1867, Voith employs 39,000 people, and
has sales of EURO 5,1 billion. Operating from 280 locations
worldwide, Voith is one of Europe’s largest family-owned
companies.
Limpet plant on the
Scottish island of Islay.
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