| Thumbs Up for Wave Hub |
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  Surfers, windsurfers and wave enthusiasts have reacted with mixed feelings following the Government approval for the world's first large scale wave farm off the coast of Cornwall.Wave Hub will, for the first time, harness the power of the waves to produce electricity. Consent means the £28 million project has cleared the last major regulatory hurdle. Funding has already been approved. The Wave Hub project will cover an area of sea measuring four kilometres by two kilometres and each wave device developer will be granted a lease of between five and 10 years in an area of approximately two square kilometres. The water at the deployment site is approximately 50 metres deep. Companies developing wave energy technology will be able to plug into Wave Hub to test their wave energy devices on a scale never seen anywhere before. Four companies have already been chosen to use Wave Hub. Wave Hub is expected to be operational in 2009. Although some wave-riders are worried that the Hub will damage swell height and strength, an independent report found that effects would be negligible. Environmentalists are delighted. Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) believe offshore renewable technologies have the potential to deliver an abundance of clean and safe energy in the UK, offsetting our reliance on some of the energy technologies in use today that are hugely damaging and polluting to the water environment. Andy Cummins, SAS Campaigns Officer, said: “Wave Hub’s government approval is good news for Cornwall and for the future of renewable energy generation in the UK. We look forward to using the same energy we’ve used to ride waves to light up our homes as well.” Wave Hub will put Cornwall at the forefront of emerging wave energy technology by providing a leased and consented area of sea for the pre-commercial testing of wave energy devices. Wave Hub could generate enough electricity for 7,500 homes, directly saving 300,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide over 25 years. This would support South West England's target for generating 15% of the region's power from renewable sources by 2010. Tim German, director of the Cornwall Sustainable Energy Partnership, which has been focusing on the benefits of Wave Hub to Cornwall, said: "We have been eagerly awaiting this news which clears the way for this exciting project, casting the world's eyes on the UK's green peninsula. It will be a key feature of the industrial revolution of the 21st century, playing an important role in Cornwall's economic and low carbon future." Andy Cummins, SAS Campaigns Officer, said, “The review is good news for surfers, for the wave hub and for the global fight against climate change. SAS believe these comprehensive scientific studies should give further reassurance to all recreational water users that offshore renewable technologies and wave riders can exist harmoniously.” The wave hub will provide a high voltage cable 10 miles out to sea and connected to the National Grid. Companies will be able to test their wave energy devices on a scale never seen anywhere before. If the project gets the go ahead from the Government, the wave hub could be fully operational by summer 2008. Bookmark this item              |