Wave Dragon Ltd has submitted three offshore consents to the Department of Trade & Industry (DTI) and to the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) who now have several weeks to consider the proposals. Any concerns arising will be discussed with Wave Dragon before a formal decision is made. It’s a crucial phase after 20 years of research and development.

If all goes well, the final design will be on the table by the end of 2007. The construction will then begin in January 2008, after which a 7 MW Wave Dragon device will be launched off the coast of Pembrokeshire in the summer of 2008.

The unit’s maximum capacity is 7 MW, but the expected output at the Pembrokeshire location is only 2 to 4 MW, says UK manager Iain Russell. The annual power production will be about 10 GWh, enough for 2,500 to 3,000 houses. Wave Dragon is now already preparing to upgrade the national grid in the area, which originates from 50 years ago. The Wave Dragon unit will be placed at the “very end of the [electricity transmission] line,” says Russell.

The Wave Dragon unit will be tested for 3 to 5 years. Eventually, another 9 units should be installed to establish a wave energy farm with a peak power of 70 MW.

The Wave Dragon on test in Denmark - Photo: Wave Dragon Ltd

The Wave Dragon device is a large floating barge that produces energy directly from the power of the water. The design is such that waves get amplified as they roll up to the barge. Eventually they flow over and spill water onto the deck, from which the water drops down via a low-head hydro generator.

The Wave Dragon was originally developed in Denmark, but the company is now moving to South Wales to profit from the larger waves and the professional expertise.

More information: www.wavedragon.net