Completed Clean Energy Engineering

Bolt-2-wavehub

In plain English

AI plain-English summary

A full-scale wave energy device, based on the BOLT design, will be built and tested at the Wave Hub site off the Cornish coast. The project combines modelling, lab tests, and field trials to develop safe, efficient ways to operate marine renewable devices. A smaller version of the BOLT device has already run successfully at sea for over a year, proving the core concept works. The University of Exeter will handle planning, preparation, and environmental monitoring, drawing on its experience with sea trials in the area. The project’s real focus is on cutting costs—not just for the device itself, but for large-scale manufacturing, installation, and long-term operation. If successful, this work could help make wave energy a practical, grid-connected power source. That matters because the UK’s energy grid needs reliable, low-carbon generation, and wave power remains an untapped resource. The project does not aim to solve fundamental physics questions; it is an applied engineering push to turn a proven prototype into a commercially viable system.

View original technical description
The project, which is supported financially by the government-backed Technology Strategy Board, will through a combination of applied researchmodeling, laboratory testing and full scale field trials develop methods and principles for safe and efficient operation of marine renewable devices. Field trials will focus on utilizing theFred Olsen wave energy device of the “BOLT” design; a smaller version of this device has previously been successfully tested at sea for more than a year. As part of the project a full scale unit capable of operating and producing electricity at the Wave Hub site in Cornwall will be designed, manufactured and then tested at sea. The planning, preparation and monitoring of the device will be undertaken by the University of Exeter; which already has lot of experience with sea trials and marine monitoring along the Cornish coast. The project has a strong focus on developing cost-efficient systems, methods and procedures; both for later full scale, large volume manufacturing and for the installation and operation phase. The project participants have been chosen to bring a combination of varied experiences from renewable energy and marine R&D and operations, design development and manufacturing skills to the table.

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Original classification

Collaborative R&D

Plain English summaries and category classifications on this site are generated by AI and may not perfectly reflect the original research.