Siadar Wave Energy Project
Encyclopedia
The Siadar Wave Power Station (also known as Siadar Wave Energy Project or SWEP) will be a 4 MW wave farm
400 metres (1,312.3 ft) off the shore of Siadar Bay, in Lewis
, Scotland
. It is claimed that it will be the world's largest wave farm. The £30 million project, to be built by Wavegen
, received Scottish Government approval on 22 January 2009, and is planned to open in 2011. Originally, the project was developed in cooperation with npower Renewables. However, in August 2011, npower Renewables left the project.
The wave station will be based on oscillating water column technology. A 200 metres (656.2 ft) causeway
will be constructed, and a breakwater
with 10 concrete caisson
s, containing 36 to 40 Wells turbine
s, placed on the seabed.
Wave farm
A wave farm or wave power farm is a collection of machines in the same location and used for the generation of wave power electricity.-Portugal:...
400 metres (1,312.3 ft) off the shore of Siadar Bay, in Lewis
Lewis
Lewis is the northern part of Lewis and Harris, the largest island of the Western Isles or Outer Hebrides of Scotland. The total area of Lewis is ....
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. It is claimed that it will be the world's largest wave farm. The £30 million project, to be built by Wavegen
Wavegen
Voith Hydro Wavegen Limited is a wave energy company based in Inverness, Scotland. It was founded in 1990 by Allan Thomson.In 2000, Wavegen became the first company in the world to connect a commercial scale wave energy device to the grid on the Scottish island of Islay...
, received Scottish Government approval on 22 January 2009, and is planned to open in 2011. Originally, the project was developed in cooperation with npower Renewables. However, in August 2011, npower Renewables left the project.
The wave station will be based on oscillating water column technology. A 200 metres (656.2 ft) causeway
Causeway
In modern usage, a causeway is a road or railway elevated, usually across a broad body of water or wetland.- Etymology :When first used, the word appeared in a form such as “causey way” making clear its derivation from the earlier form “causey”. This word seems to have come from the same source by...
will be constructed, and a breakwater
Breakwater (structure)
Breakwaters are structures constructed on coasts as part of coastal defence or to protect an anchorage from the effects of weather and longshore drift.-Purposes of breakwaters:...
with 10 concrete caisson
Caisson (engineering)
In geotechnical engineering, a caisson is a retaining, watertight structure used, for example, to work on the foundations of a bridge pier, for the construction of a concrete dam, or for the repair of ships. These are constructed such that the water can be pumped out, keeping the working...
s, containing 36 to 40 Wells turbine
Wells turbine
The Wells turbine is a low-pressure air turbine that rotates continuously in one direction in spite of the direction of the air flow. Its blades feature a symmetrical airfoil with its plane of symmetry in the plane of rotation and perpendicular to the air stream.It was developed for use in...
s, placed on the seabed.
External links
- Siadar Wave Power Scheme at npower renewables
- npower submit plans for wave power scheme at Wavegen
- Siadar Bay Wave Energy Project at renewableenergydev.com