Wave Energy Scotland has awarded over £660,000 of funding for 13 projects aiming to develop innovative control systems for wave energy converters.
Among the winners were wave technology developers Marine Power Systems, Corpower, Mocean Energy and Wave for Energy plus engineering outfits including SgurrControl, Innosea and Altran.
Control systems can enhance energy yield, reduce operating costs and increase survivability of wave energy devices, all contributing to a lower cost of energy.
WES director Tim Hurst said: “With today’s ocean measurement technologies and data processing advances, the control system should be able to monitor the waves and adjust the wave energy device’s movement to suit them.
“Once they are teamed with the different wave energy devices at later stages in the programme, we expect them to manage any of the conditions Scotland’s climate might throw at them.”
This control systems call is the fourth innovation call from WES.
The Highland and Islands Enterprise-owned public sector body has now invested £25.3m over the last three years on 48 projects involving 163 organisations.
Image: FloWave research facility in Edinburgh (FloWave)
