The construction of the pioneering Wave Hub project is now under-way with engineers having started the first phase of construction at Hayle in Cornwall.
The South West Regional Development Association (SWRDA) is developing the Wave Hub as the cornerstone of its strategy for a world class marine energy industry in the South West of England. The project is to create the worlds largest test site for wave energy technology and is hoped to be the cornerstone of a world leading marine energy industry in the South West.
The Wave Hub is a marine renewables infrastructure project that will create an electrical 'socket' on the seabed and will be connected to the National Grid via a sub-sea cable which will allow the wave energy devices performance to be assessed before full commercial production commences. The Wave Hub will have an initial maximum capacity of 20MW but has the potential to extend to 50MW.
The first phase of construction began in late November with civil engineers Dean & Dyball beginning the two week operation to drill a 200m duct through the sand dunes on the beach at Hayle. The duct will eventually link the sub-sea electrical cable with a new electricity sub-station which will allow the Wave hub to be connected to the National grid. The construction of the sub-station will begin in January.
At the commencement of construction last week Guy Lavender, Wave Hub's General Manager, who takes up his post in January, said:
"Our contractors have spent the last two weeks setting up on site and are now ready to start. This is a crucial part of our shore-side works and means we'll be ready to receive the cable connecting Wave Hub to the shore when it is laid next summer. We want South West England to be a world leader in the development of marine renewables, an industry which could be worth £2 billion a year to the UK by 2050. With world leaders meeting in Copenhagen to discuss climate change, Wave Hub is a tangible example of a project that could have a global impact on reducing carbon emissions and our dependence on fossil fuels."
Wave Hub is being funded with £12.5 million from the SWRDA, £20 million from the European Regional Development Fund Convergence Programme and £9.5 million from the UK government. In July, South West England was designated the UK's first Low Carbon Economic Area because of its strength in marine energy, attracting a further £10 million of UK government investment for projects that will support the industry.
With government, RDA and European funding, the total investment in the South West's marine energy programme in the next two years is expected to top £100 million, and is expected to create 1,800 jobs and inject £560m into the UK economy over 25 years. There is a strong emphasis on benefiting the local community with almost 1,000 of the jobs being local and £332m being generated in the South West.
The Wave Hub project is fully funded, has been granted planning approval and will be completed in 2010. The £42 million project has already signed up its first wave device developer with the first wave energy devices expected to be deployed in 2011.
