After one of Vattenfall’s wave measurement buoys disappeared from its anchoring place, the company had to assure the residents of the Shetland Islands that the proposed Aegir wave farm will be firmly anchored.
Last year, Vattenfall deployed two buoys around 2 kilometres to the west of the south tip of Burra and one of them has gone missing in spring of this year.
The company’s spokesman explained that the anchoring systems of the wave buoys and the proposed wave farm could not be compared, the Shetland News reports.
First of all, these buoys were attached to one point of a light mooring set, with an elastic bungee. They are purposed to easily detect the wave motion in order to ensure that design of the moorings for the farm can be completed with confidence.
Furthermore, the wave power machines have four points of mooring with heavy embedment anchors and catenary mooring sets.
Vattenfall’s partner in the wave farm project, Pelamis Wave Power, designs machines which are verified and insured using the same codes and standards as offshore oil and gas infrastructure.
As for the missing buoy, mariners have been notified to get in touch if they see it.
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Offshore WIND staff, June 28, 2012; Image: Pelamis Wave Power