 The 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.
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 2007...
Commissioned in 2007, 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. 
|
Background 
