RDA begins wave energy project

The South West Regional Development Agency (RDA) has announced that construction is underway on its Wave Hub project off the north coast of Cornwall.

The project, which will install a large grid-connected socket on the seabed for wave energy devices, is hoped to make the south west of England a leading player in the global marine energy industry.

Stephen Peacock, executive director of Enterprise and Innovation at the South West RDA, said: ‘This milestone is the culmination of more than six years’ work by the RDA and its partners and will catapult south-west England and the UK to the forefront of wave energy development. Our aim is to create an entirely new low-carbon industry in the south west and hundreds of quality jobs.’

The initial phase of construction will take place on shore, where engineers will drill a 200m duct under and through sand dunes on the beach at Hayle in Cornwall. The duct will be lined with a pipe to link the Wave Hub’s subsea cable with a new electricity substation. Work on the substation will begin in January 2010 and is expected to take six months to complete.