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Marine Energy - Wave Power on the Orkney Islands

March 10, 2014

On the Orkney Islands, north of Scotland, a number of companies are testing new forms of electricity generation. They want to tap the power of the oceans using offshore tidal current and wave-powered turbines.

https://p.dw.com/p/1BMXa

The conditions are ideal: three-meter-high waves are an everyday occurrence and tidal currents are among the strongest in the world. That's why the only marine energy testing and certification center is located here. It gives developers of both wave and tidal energy converters the opportunity to test their technologies, especially for resilience and ease of maintenance. The researchers hope that in 10 to 20 years such converters will produce more electricity than a modern-day nuclear power plant, and Orkney could become a world center of marine energy.