A&P FALMOUTH has secured a major contract to refit Wello Oy’s Penguin wave energy device which arrived at the docks following an eight-day tow from Orkney, Scotland, where the device has been successfully tested since 2013.

Paul Weston, A&P’s renewable energy technical manager, said: “We are delighted to have secured an order to maintain the device prior to its deployment at Wavehub this summer.

“Renewables devices are becoming larger and deeper which in turn means they require deeper harbours, deeper berths and more wharf space in order to deploy them and provide operations and maintenance support.

“The Penguin is a case in point and this project clearly showcases the facilities, skills and commitment we have here at A&P Falmouth for renewable energy.

“This is now our third wave energy convertor at Falmouth including Fred Olsen’s Lifesaver and Seatricity’s Oceanus II.”

Later this summer the Penguin will be deployed at the Wave Hub site as part of the CEFOW Project (Clean Energy from Ocean Waves). A further two devices will be manufactured and deployed to complete a wave energy array.

The Penguin device, which is a simple and durable design with no external moving parts, has an exceptionally good capability to convert wave movement into power.

The power generation is based on converting the movement of the waves to rotational kinetic movement inside the device by using the asymmetric shape of the hull.

The converter is designed to respond to the movement of waves. The asymmetrical shape of the hull creates a gyration movement in waves which makes the generator inside the hull rotate. Power train from wave to electricity is direct, without any mechanical or hydraulic gears in between.

Aki Luukkainen, CEO of Wello Oy commented: “We are excited to start working with A&P Falmouth to prepare the device for a long-term deployment at Wave Hub. I am confident that with help of the other CEFOW partners and local supply chain we will deploy on schedule and start generating power.”

Fortum Corporation, a multi-national energy utility, lead the CEFOW project and is supported by a range of project partners with a vast amount of expertise in offshore renewable energy.

Mikko Huumo, manager, R&D growth projects, Fortum Corporation, commented: “During the autumn and winter of 2015, the CEFOW project team has been working hard to design cost-efficient and safe mooring designs and the electrical connection for the Wave Hub site. We are on track to get everything ready so that the Penguin will be grid connected at Wave Hub in summer 2016 as planned.

“Even though we still have plenty to do before all the three devices are deployed at Wave Hub, I am very pleased to see the first device arriving safely at Falmouth.”

Other project partners are Mojo Maritime Ltd, Uppsala University, Plymouth University and the University of Exeter.

The European Commission’s research and innovation programme Horizon 2020 granted €17million of the project’s total €24.5million budget.