By Renewable Energy Focus staff

The leases from the Crown Estate will enable Aquamarine to start to start environmental and feasibility studies to install its Oyster wave energy technology.

Aquamarine Power will need to secure planning consents from Comhairle nan Eilean Siar and government regulator Marine Scotland before any wave power development can take place.

Aquamarine Power has secured two leases. One is a 10 MW wave power demonstration lease for a site between Siadar and Fivepenny, known as the Galson site; the other is a 30 MW lease granted under the Crown Estate’s recent ‘Saltire Prize’ leasing round – which offers an area of search between Bàgh Dhail Beag and Tràigh Shanndaigh.

Aquamarine aims to identify the most appropriate 30 MW site within the search area. Once this has been identified and Aquamarine Power has secured all permissions and consents required, they will seek a formal lease with the Crown Estate. The lease area will be known as the North West Lewis site.

The wave power development has the potential to see up to 40 Oyster nearshore wave power devices installed across both locations on an approximate 2 km stretch of coast.