Mainstay Marine to build Wave-tricity WEC

UK wave energy developer Wave-tricity has hired Mainstay Marine Solutions to build its Ocean Wave Rower wave energy device.

Pembroke Dock-based Mainstay Marine, a designer and builder of workboats and marine renewable energy devices, will complete the first major stage of an innovative wave energy converter development project on behalf of Wave-tricity.

Wave-tricity was recently backed with a £4 million European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) grant to develop and test the Ocean Wave Rower device.

The device will be deployed in the Pembrokeshire Demonstration Zone, a wave energy site off the Pembrokeshire coastline, for two years, starting from February 2017.

Matthew Fairclough-Kay, Managing Director at Wave-tricity, said: “One of our key goals was to ensure the scheme benefited the local economy and created supply chain opportunities for the region’s businesses. We’re thrilled to be working with Mainstay, which will play an important role in bringing the prospect of clean wave energy a step closer to commercial success.”