The South West Regional Development Agency’s Wave Hub marine energy project has been safely installed on the seabed following a delicate operation to lower the 12-ton hub into 55 meters of water, 16 kilometers offshore, project developers reported.
Wave Hub is creating the world’s largest test site for wave energy technology by building a grid-connected socket on the seabed off the coast of Cornwall, England, to which wave power devices can be connected and their performance evaluated.
The GBP 42 million (US$64.36 million) project has been developed by the South West RDA and is a cornerstone of its strategy to develop a world class marine energy industry in South West England.
The RDA’s Wave Hub General Manager Guy Lavender said: “Seeing Wave Hub lowered into the water was the culmination of more than seven years’ hard work by hundreds of people, and the fact that it was designed and built in this country is testimony to the skills and experience that the UK already has in the fledgling marine renewables industry. Wave Hub will be on the seabed for the next 25 years, helping the world gain invaluable knowledge about how we tap the vast energy potential of our oceans in the pursuit of clean, abundant renewable energy and cementing the UK’s position at the forefront of this green power revolution.”
Wave Hub is being funded with GBP 12.5 million from the South West RDA, GBP 20 million from the European Regional Development Fund Convergence Programme and GBP 9.5 million from the UK government.
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