Aquamarine Power’s Oyster® is designed to capture the energy contained in waves close to the shore.

Energy generated from natural sources, such as ocean waves, doesn't produce any carbon emissions. If this energy can be captured and used to replace that generated from fossil fuels, it will help the UK meet its target of reducing carbon emissions by 80% by 2050 and will minimise our dependence on imported energy. A new wave of reliable and robust technologies will need to be developed to achieve this.

Aquamarine Power's Oyster is designed to capture the energy contained in waves close to the shore. As the waves pass over the Oyster, which is fixed to the seabed at a depth of about 10 metres, they cause it to move back and forth. This movement drives hydraulic pistons that push high-pressure water through a pipeline to an onshore turbine, which drives a generator. Multiple Oysters will feed into a single onshore generator. The expected peak power output is 0.5-1 MW per device.

Competitive advantage

• Robust and reliable design
• Low-cost operation and maintenance
• Use of proven hydro-electric power generation technology
• Low weight-to-power ratio (minimises capital cost)
• Accessibility (nearshore and onshore equipment)
• Economies of scale
• High capture factor
• High power output.

Development status

A full-scale Oyster demonstrator is now installed at the European Marine Energy Centre on Orkney. Grid connection and sea trials are underway.

Development contracts

Aquamarine Power has signed an agreement with renewable energy company Airtricity to develop Oyster wave farms with a capacity of up to 1,000 MW by 2020. Discussions are in progress with other potential development partners.

Market size

Aquamarine Power plans to have a 2,500 MW of Oyster farms under development by 2012, with a further 7,000 MW in development worldwide by 2020. The wave resource available to Oyster suggests a total global installed capacity could reach 20 GW.

Green energy from the sea

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