The development and installation of the LIMPET wave energy converter

A 500kW shoreline wave energy collector (LIMPET) is in the final stages of construction on the Hebridean Island of Islay with a scheduled completion in the late summer of 2000. This plant was developed from the successful 75kW prototype shoreline Oscillating Water Column (OWC) wave energy converter which was built by the Queen's University of Belfast (QUB) in 1991 and operated to provide design data and operational experience until its decommissioning in 1999. Whilst it is principally the focus of a long term development programme towards the establishment of fully commercial wave energy, LIMPET will be grid connected and supply power to the national grid under the terms of the Scottish Renewables Order. The LIMPET project has received support under the EU Joule programme with QUB leading the scientific investigations whilst WAVEGEN are responsible for the operation of the device. The remaining members of the EU project team are IST Lisbon (mathematical modelling), Charles Brand (construction) and Kirk McLure & Morton (design).