30 July 2010 14:21
E.ON’s Vagr Atferd arrives in Orkney for first testing

E.ON's wave energy convertor, Vagr Atferd, has arrived at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney to begin testing and development.

In another milestone for the burgeoning marine energy industry, it will be the first time a P2 machine - designed and constructed by Pelamis Wave Power - is tested.

Amaan Lafayette, E.ON's Marine Development Manager, said: "This is the beginning of an exciting period in the development of marine energy. Vagr Atferd is capable of generating 750kW of renewable energy and this period of testing will help us determine what we need to do to ensure that marine energy makes the transition from development to commercial deployment."

The testing programme will increase in intensity every 12 months to examine the viability of the P2 wave energy convertor, which was officially launched by Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond in May.

The machine is 180m long - or as long as the Gherkin building in London is tall - and weighs approximately 1,300 tonnes. The motion of the waves produces electricity by driving a set of hydraulic rams at the hinged joints, which link the cylindrical sections of the device.    

Vagr Atferd (in Old Norse, Vágr Atferð means wave power) was named by Matthew Rendall of Stromness Primary School in Orkney, following a competition. Its deployment at EMEC - a research facility based in Stromness, Orkney - is part of E.ON's first significant investment in wave power.

E.ON is a leader in renewable energy and currently owns and operates 20 wind farms from Cornwall to Kintyre, including Robin Rigg in the Solway Firth, which is one of the UK's largest offshore wind farms. E.ON is also a partner in the London Array, which will be the world's largest offshore wind farm when complete, together with DONG Energy and Masdar.

In February, the Carbon Trust awarded funding from the Marine Renewables Proving Fund (MRPF) to the six most promising marine energy technologies to speed up the deployment of full scale prototypes.  The funding provided to Pelamis has supported the design and construction of the P2 device and its installation and testing at the EMEC.

Ends

Notes to editors:

• E.ON is one of the UK's leading power and gas companies - generating and distributing electricity, and retailing power and gas - and is part of the E.ON group, one of the world's largest investor-owned power and gas companies. We employ around 16,000 people in the UK and more than 88,000 worldwide;
• We're one of the leading green generators in the UK, with 20 wind farms located from Cambridgeshire to Kintyre. We own and operate one of the UK's largest dedicated biomass power stations at Lockerbie. Combined, our renewable portfolio generates enough green energy to power the homes in a city the size of Manchester;
• Our green development portfolio could power over a million homes and displace the emission of almost two million tonnes of carbon dioxide a year by building new onshore and offshore wind farms, biomass power stations, and marine power schemes;
• We recently launched our first wave power generator, which is the first in UK waters and which is capable of generating 750kW of renewable energy;
• Our target is to cut the carbon released by each kW of electricity we generate by 10% between 2005-2012, having already reduced it by 20% since 1990;
• We have 1,500MW of renewable capacity under development in the UK
• We are investing £50 million in new technologies and approaches over 10 years, through the Energy Technologies Institute;
• We have Biodiversity Action Plans at many of our sites which align us with the UK target of significantly reducing biodiversity loss;
• E.ON Group has announced it intends to reduced the carbon intensity of its generation by 50% by 2030 (on 1990 levels);
• E.ON Group aims to spend €8bn between 2007 and 2012 on renewable generation and climate protection activities.

For more information contact:

Alisha Allen on 02476 192 063