A 1MW wave energy converter installed by Finnish developer Wello has sunk at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) off Orkney in Scotland.
The Penguin device is “no longer visible above the sea surface” after an inspection earlier this week confirmed the unit was taking on water, said EMEC in a statement.
The unit (pictured) was deployed at a berth at EMEC’s Billia Croo grid-connected test site off the Orkney mainland in March 2017.
“The device remains attached to its moorings at berth five, however is no longer visible,” said a spokeswoman.
“The situation is being monitored closely by Wello, EMEC and (installation contractor) Green Marine, and the appropriate authorities have been informed,” she added.
Wello is due to install a second 1MW Penguin at the Billia Croo test site this year as part of an EU-funded three-unit demonstration array.
EMEC said the second machine will be deployed off Orkney “in the coming months”.
“Learnings from this incident will feed into the design, operations and maintenance plans for the future,” said the spokeswoman.
She added: “The very nature of EMEC being a test site means that the pioneering technologies tested here are demonstrated in harsh real-sea conditions to learn how they interact and survive.”