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Why wave energy? Print E-mail
Wave Dragon prototypeThe renewable energy target ...
The need for the development of renewable energy generation in the UK, including offshore wave energy, arises from the requirement to generate electricity, reduce emissions of greenhouse and acid rain gases, and to move towards a more sustainable future. The Government has a target of generating 10% of UK electricity demand from renewable sources by 2010.  This target has recently been extended by the Government to 15% by 2015 with an aspiration of 20% by 2020.  The development of renewable energy from this pre-commercial demonstration project will offset the emission of greenhouse gases, in line with the UK’s commitments under the Kyoto Protocol.

No greenhouse gasses ...
Wave energy is a means of generating electricity that does not produce emissions of greenhouse or acid rain gases, does not produce toxic waste products, and is not dependent on finite reserves of fossil fuels. It is inherently sustainable, and this is explicitly recognised in the Government’s approach to the deployment of the technology.

Encourage wave energy ...
To encourage the deployment of wave and tidal demonstration projects, the Government recently published the consent process for such projects in England and Wales, thereby putting in place the conditions that will allow the sector-leading UK marine industry to demonstrate and fulfil the renewable energy potential of our seas.

Image Great potential ...
The exploitation of wave power is seen as a complementary technology to the more mature technologies such as wind power. The waters off Wales offer great potential for wave technology, and an opportunity exists for a well-sited demonstration project to provide impetus to this nascent form of generation.

UK's first and largest...
Wave Dragon's pre-commercial demonstrator off Milford Haven will be UK’s first and largest offshore wave energy installation and represents a major milestone in the Wales and UK’s drive towards cleaner sources of power.

In 2010...
The project will produce enough clean, green electricity each year to meet the annual demand of between 2,500 and 3,000 homes. This clean generation will offset the release of about 1,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide (the main greenhouse gas contributing to global warming and climate change) every year.

...toward commercialisation
The Milford Haven Wave Dragon Pre-Commercial Demonstrator is a single floating slack moored wave energy converter with a rated capacity of 4-7MW.  Wave Dragon Ltd have been working toward commercialisation of the device for 3 years, and have had a 1:4.5 scale prototype deployed in Denmark since 2003 where reliable power production has already been demonstrated. Image