This is an important day for Wave Energy Scotland. This project call is the first opportunity for innovative technology developers to get involved in Wave Energy Scotland and drive the direction of the wave energy sector. We recognise the wide range of expertise that exists beyond the energy sector. Wave Energy Scotland is a great platform for a collaborative effort between various industries and gives us the chance to support developers in Scotland to produce solutions for the cost effective generation of wave energy around the world.

- Fergus Ewing, Energy Minister

Wave Energy Scotland will take a fresh approach to resolving the issues which so often hamper the early stages of developing innovative technology. It is an exciting time for the wave energy sector in Scotland and WES offers a great opportunity to draw on the expertise which exists in industry and academia across the country. Wave Energy Scotland is now open for business and we encourage anyone with a best in class solution for PTO systems to submit their ideas.

- Tim Hurst, Interim Director, Wave Energy Scotland

The Carbon Trust is very excited to be supporting Wave Energy Scotland in its efforts to help the development of the most promising wave energy technologies, subsystems and components. It is critical to drive convergence of device design to ultimately reduce the costs of commercialisation of wave energy technology. A collaborative approach to innovation will be essential in helping to achieve these objectives and we are looking forward to see what novel ideas can be supported through this first innovation competition.

- Michael Rea, Chief Operating Officer at the Carbon Trust

Recent assessments of the wave energy market estimate that, by 2050, projects totalling a capacity of up to 130GW Globally (IEA[1]) could be installed with much of the development potential in well supported markets, with strong subsidies for renewable energy, in the UK and Europe.  This huge potential could create a multi-billion pound market for power take-off systems, which typically represent around a quarter of the capital costs for a wave energy machine.  

The inherent challenge for the wave energy sector is to convert the high force provided by low velocity waves into the high velocity movement required to generate electricity. When coupled with the need to survive very harsh marine conditions while making a device cost-competitive with other forms of offshore renewables energy, it creates one of the great engineering challenges of the 21st Century.

WES is calling for innovative ideas from Scotland’s marine energy sector and beyond to provide a step change in the capital cost and performance over current technologies. Technology transfer from the automotive, offshore wind, aerospace, defence, maritime and oil & gas sectors could help support early step changes in the levelised-cost-of-energy (LCOE) for the wave sector via lower capital costs, and improved efficiency or reliability at the subsystem or device level.

Innovators will need to demonstrate they meet specific ‘gate entry’ criteria in order to be assessed and the competition is open to any organisation with registered operations in the Europe Union.

Applications will be assessed according to their technical and commercial merit, impact on cost reduction and performance. Any intellectual property generated through a project supported by WES will lie with the applicant.

To find out more about Wave Energy Scotland and how to apply for this open call visit www.waveenergyscotland.co.uk

ENDS
 

[1] The International Energy Agency - Energy Technology Perspectives 2014 estimate up to 200GW of marine energy globally by 2050, 65% of which is wave power.

About the Carbon Trust

The Carbon Trust is an independent company with a mission to accelerate the move to a sustainable, low-carbon economy. The Carbon Trust:

• advises businesses, governments and the public sector on opportunities in a sustainable, low-carbon world;
• measures and certifies the environmental footprint of organisations, products and services;
• helps develop and deploy low-carbon technologies and solutions, from energy efficiency to renewable power.

Notes to Editors

About the open call

The application process will be handled via Public Contracts Scotland http://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=MAR203890. Interested parties must register with Public Contracts Scotland where they will be able to download the call documentation, ask questions and upload applications.

The key dates for the call are:

• Call Opens: March 19th 2015
• Information Webinar: 09:30 (BST, GMT+1) March 31st 2015
• Deadline for registrations and clarifications: 12:00 (BST, GMT+1) May 15th 2015
• Deadline for applications: 12:00 (BST, GMT+1) May 22nd 2015

Applicants will be able to apply in one of the call’s four programme stages:

• Feasibility studies
• Concept optimisation/proof-of-concept projects
• Early stage prototype development
• Late stage prototype development

The number of final projects that are awarded contracts will depend on the quality of applications in each of the programme stages.

About Highlands and Islands Enterprise

Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) is an economic and community development agency delivering Scotland’s economic strategy across a region which covers more than half of Scotland.

With around 300 staff, HIE supports hundreds of client businesses and social enterprises; strengthens communities, particularly in fragile areas; develops growth sectors, and invests in infrastructure to create a more competitive and low carbon region.

Visit the Highlands and Islands Enterprise website at http://www.hie.co.uk