Aquamarine Power has developed and is currently testing a device for turning wave energy into electricity. Named “Oyster,” it is essentially a wave-powered pump that can use the energy from the waves to drive an onshore hydro-electric turbine. The device floats on the surface of the water and is moored to the sea bed. It has a hinged flap which oscillates due to the waves and this movement drives a hydraulic piston. The piston pushes the water onshore using a subsea pipeline and can be used to drive a conventional turbine. It is envisioned that subsea pipelines will connect many such Oyster devices to a single onshore plant to generate a much higher capacity of electricity. The device is being tested in Orkney, Scotland – read a Wall Street Journal about it here.
