Alternative energy took a step backward last week when the world's first commercial wave power generator collapsed.
The mishap occurred only weeks after the unit was installed inshore on the northern coast of Scotland.
Damage to two of nine ballast tanks drew the blame for collapse of the Ocean Swell Powered Renewable Energy (Osprey) structure. The damage was discovered when Osprey arrived on site, and engineers struggled to repair it when a storm broke.
Applied Research & Technology Ltd., Inverness, built the 2 million ($3.2 million) unit. It was designed to produce 2,000 kw of electricity from waves, to be fed into the national power grid, and to have capacity for retrofitting of a 1,500 kw wind turbine generator.
The 850 metric ton structure was described by an Applied Research spokeswoman as being like a large artificial cave, two thirds below water and one third above.
Wave action displaced air in the generator's shafts to turn a turbine. Osprey was installed in 1612 m of water 300 m from shore at Dounreay.
The spokeswoman said a second Osprey will be built to the same design. The company has eliminated design problems as a cause of the collapse and is investigating possibilities of damage during construction and transit.
Applied Research said Osprey took 6 months to build and, with all going well, a replacement could be installed in the same spot next spring: "This would mean a delay of only a few months to the originally intended grid connection, set for late autumn."
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