Overview and Initial Operational Experience of the LIMPET Wave Energy Plant

The 2nd full-scale shoreline Oscillating Water Column (OWC) wave energy device to be constructed in the UK, LIMPET, has been completed on the island of Islay, Scotland. The LIMPET device comprises a rectangular inclined OWC that ducts the generated airflow through two contra-rotating Well’s turbines, each coupled to a 250kW induction generator giving the device a 500kW maximum power output. This paper serves to provide an overview of the LIMPET device from conception to the current status and the initial operational experiences of running the plant.