Sustaining wave and tidal growth
RPS has been providing services to the wave and tidal energy industry for over 30 years, promoting the sustainable development of ocean energy.
RPS provides a wide range of services providing a client with a fully project managed, multi-discipline package from the concept stage through prototype detailed engineering design to construction and post-construction monitoring. Our experience extends to concept development, hydro-dynamic modelling and equations of motion, device foundation and mooring design, array analysis and useable resource analysis.
In addition, we can provide site selection services and constraints analysis, cable routing and landfall studies as well as environmental scoping and impact assessment, monitoring and survey management, including ecological, geotechnical, geophysical, met-ocean and noise aspects.
All services are readily available and can be delivered by our multi-disciplinary team and supported by RPS’ worldwide resource.
Our team has successfully delivered all of the above services on projects in a diverse array of locations from European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in the Orkney Islands, Alderney, the Atlantic coast of France and the Bay of Fundy in Canada.
We have also provided installation and construction support to several key UK ocean energy prototype projects including the first grid-connected wave generator the Wavegen Limpet OWC device on the Scottish island of Islay and conceptual design advice for the Australian Carnegie CETO WEC device.
Case study: Openhydro
RPS was part of the team that has delivered various step change achievements for Openhydro and for the tidal energy industry. We initially designed and project managed the installation of a piled tidal turbine test facility at the EMEC test site in Orkney in 2006, which became the first grid-connected tidal turbine in the UK.
In the last five years, the same team have designed three gravity base structures for Openhydro’s 6m, 10m and 16m diameter 1MW turbines. RPS have also been involved in the development of Openhydro’s innovative deployment and retrieval methods including design of specialist lifting frames and input into the design of Openhydro’s deployment barge, ‘Installer’. The 6m base was deployed in EMEC in 2007 and the 10m in the Bay of Fundy in 2009. The latest gravity base and 16m turbine was deployed in French waters in 2011.
Key contacts:
Dr Mike Shaw
Regional Director (Scotland) & Director (Maritime Infrastructure)
E: mike.shaw@rpsgroup.com
Mark McConnell
Technical Director
(Maritime Infrastructure)
E: mark.mcconnell@rpsgroup.com
