Aegir Deploys Wave Monitoring Buoy off St Ninian’s Isle (UK)

Aegir Wave Power has commenced vital wave resource monitoring for its wave energy project off south west Shetland.

The deployment of a wave rider buoy was completed with the support of the Scalloway-based NAFC Marine Centre. The Marine Centre has signed a support agreement with Aegir to assist in project development activities, which includes monitoring and maintaining the wave buoy. The Marine Centre used its newly commissioned vessel the MV Havra to carry out the operation.

Aegir Project Development Manager, Andrew Scott, said: “We’re really pleased to have this first buoy out on site now as the data it will supply will be invaluable to the project’s success.”

Commenting on the cooperation with the Marine Centre, he said: “It’s tremendously useful and reassuring for Aegir to be able to call on the support of the Marine Centre for these types of activities, as well as having them monitoring the buoy from Scalloway.”

David Gray, Director of the Marine Centre, said: “We are delighted to be able to provide support to Aegir with their development work as well as get involved in this very exciting project in Shetland’s waters at this early stage.”

Aegir will use the buoy to further determine how rich the wave energy resource is in the area and to inform the design of the Pelamis anchoring system. The buoy will transmit its measurement data, in real time, back to a shore receiver station at the Marine Centre where operators will also be able to monitor the position of the buoys.

The wave rider buoy is a yellow float approximately 1 metre in diameter fitted with a flashing light and radio antenna. The location of the buoy, which was decided after consulting with local fishing representatives, is around four kilometres west of St.Ninian’s Isle. A Notice to Mariners has been issued to alert vessels of the hazard, and local sea users have been informed. A second wave-measurement buoy is planned to be deployed later in the year to the north of the first, in order to determine the variability in the wave climate.

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Source: aegirwave, June 30, 2011