Aquamarine Power's Oyster Wave Energy Converter, a pretty impressive display of advanced wave power technology, seems to be gaining momentum. The company has just appointed Fugro Seacore, geotechnical drilling and maring construction contractor, to install Oyster Wave Energy Converter units.

The £2 million contract will see the beginning of installation of Oyster units on the seabed at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney, during summer of 2009, with the completion scheduled sometime in Autumn. Fugro Seacore has over 30 years of experience in near-shore drilling and in specialist marine installation projects. This appointment closely follows another development, an agreement with Scottish and Southern Energy, for renewable energy development, aimed at developing sites that would host 1,000 MW of marine energy capacity, by 2020.

This is the first full-scale demonstration of the Oyster device, and the company wanted to eliminate any installation mistakes by engaging a world class marine installation company, such as Fugro Seacore. Fugro Seacore is cautious about the contract, saying they expect to encounter challenges, but they are sure they will overcome them through their expertise, aiming to complete the installation project this year.