Making waves

Sweden's

is investing a total of €1,404,327 in a project within the basic research programme of

in

to develop wave power technology.

The project aims to study and evaluate the generation of energy from the motion of sea waves at a research installation in Skagerak, located approximately two kilometres west of the Islandsberg peninsula in the municipality of Lysekil.

‘Vattenfall is one of several organisations funding the project and their support is vital for driving Swedish wave power research forward. The research installation outside Lysekil is an exciting project with considerable future potential,’ said Mats Leijon, Professor of Electricity at Uppsala University and initiator of the research installation.

The Islandsberg research area has been granted a permit for ten generators that will be deployed on a gradual basis up to 2009.

The project involves a total investment of €2,445,347 and Vattenfall, which has previously invested €432,100, will now invest an additional €972,226 in basic research linked to the research area.

Other companies and organizations funding the project include the Swedish Energy Agency, Swedish west-coast power producers Göteborgs Energi and Falkenberg Energi, and a number of suppliers and manufacturers.

The initiative within wave energy research is designed to support the EU's objective that European countries are to obtain 20 per cent of their energy from renewable resources by the year 2020.

The United Kingdom and Ireland have recently announced major investments in wave power to facilitate the introduction of new energy solutions. Vattenfall says it is closely following these international initiatives as part of the company's involvement in efforts to promote sustainable development.