Wave farm venture secures lease agreement

SHETLAND Islands Council has welcomed news that wave energy developer Aegir has secured a lease agreement with the Crown Estate for a wave farm to the west of the isles.

Described as another piece in the jigsaw, the agreement will allow the company to continue with their 10 megawatt project using Pelamis wave energy converters.

Aegir Wave Power Ltd is a joint venture between Swedish utility Vattenfall AB and Edinburgh-based Pelamis Wave Power Ltd.

If everything goes according to plan an application for consent will be submitted to Scottish ministers in 2012 or 2013 with a view to take a final decision on the project by 2014.

Construction could take place during the summer months of 2015, but is dependent on an interconnector being laid between Shetland and the Scottish mainland.

As part of its investigation work, the company hopes to deploy a wave measurement buoy off the coast within the next few weeks.

SIC economy and development committee chairman Alastair Cooper said: “We regard our marine renewables resources as a major potential source of energy and prosperity for our community, not least because it is never-ending.

“We have every intention of encouraging development in this area, in a way that is smart and sustainable with community participation.”

Referring to the proposed interconnector to the Scottish mainland, Mr. Cooper added: “The Aegir project is a good example of the sort of additional economic activity that is enabled by the grid connection. We look forward to this being the start of a new offshore industry for Shetland’s long term future.”

Pelamis project manager Andrew Scott said the company was committed to working with the local community.

“Aegir has already invested a significant amount in this project to date, so we are delighted to secure this milestone for the project. There remains a lot of work to be completed over the next two years, and we look forward to completing this in close communication and collaboration with the local Shetland communities. We realise this has to make sense for them too.”