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Wavegen

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Wavegen Limited
Company typeLimited
IndustryEngineering
Founded1990 (1990)
FounderAllan Thomson
Defunct2013 (2013)
Headquarters,
Key people
Matthew Seed (CEO)
ProductsLimpet wave energy converters
ParentVoith Hydro

Wavegen Limited (later Voith Hydro Wavegen Limited) was a wave energy company based in Inverness, Scotland. It was founded in 1990 by Allan Thomson.[1] It was sold to Voith Hydro in 2005, and they closed the company in 2013.

History

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In 2000, Wavegen became the first company in the world to connect a commercial scale wave energy device (LIMPET) to the grid on the Scottish island of Islay.[2] The LIMPET (Land Installed Marine Powered Energy Transformer) is a shoreline device which produces power from an oscillating water column.

In May 2005, Wavegen was bought by Voith Hydro, a subsidiary of Voith.[3]

Together with the Faroese power company SEV, Wavegen had planned to develop the SeWave wave energy plant project in Nípanin in the Faroe Islands.[4] It was also the developer of the Siadar Wave Energy Project.[5]

On 17 November 2011, Wavegen put into operation the world's first commercial full life Limpet wave power plant. The 300-kW plant was sold to Ente Vasco de la Energía in Spain.[5]

In March 2013 Voith Hydro decided to close down Wavegen choosing to concentrate on tidal power projects.[6]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Bain, Simon (24 April 2001). "Market listing for Wavegen £5m investment will help Scots company roll out internationally". Herald Scotland. Archived from the original on 23 November 2023. Retrieved 6 July 2011.
  2. ^ "Islay". Columbia Encyclopedia. Retrieved 23 January 2008.
  3. ^ "Buyout saves wave power company". BBC News. 24 May 2005. Retrieved 6 January 2010.
  4. ^ "Clean energy - that never fades". SeWave. Archived from the original on 26 February 2009. Retrieved 13 February 2008.
  5. ^ a b "Inverness firm hands over the world's first full life wave power plant". The Inverness Courier. 17 November 2011. Archived from the original on 11 October 2016. Retrieved 17 November 2011.
  6. ^ "City job losses as giant utility firm pulls out". The Inverness Courier. 4 March 2013. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 4 March 2013.