Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 23 October 2014
13. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the position regarding the amount of grant aid paid by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland to Irish wave energy companies by company; the type of wave energy converter proposed in each case; and the technical readiness level of each company before and after the grant aid. [40170/14]
View answerWave and tidal energy technology is still at the Research, Development and Demonstration stage globally. Ireland has a rich ocean resource and has significant potential in this area. Consequently, in order to take forward the Government's ocean energy strategy, an Ocean Energy Development Unit was established in the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland in 2009. The Ocean Energy Development Unit has been facilitating the development of the sector through administration of a Prototype Development Fund of grants for industry. SEAI has to date invested or provided grant aid totalling just over €2.6m to ocean wave energy companies from the Fund. Grant commitments have been made to 15 separate companies ranging from just over €13,000 to over €830,000. The following table details the commitments made from the Fund.
Table: Grant Commitments from Prototype Development Fund
|
Company |
Paid from 2009 - 2014 |
Type |
Technology Readiness Level (TRL) Change Pre- Grant to Post -Grant |
|
Wavebob Ltd |
€836,877 |
Point Absorber |
1->5 |
|
Ocean Energy |
€575,198 |
Oscillating Water Column |
1->6 |
|
Sea Power Ltd |
€363,646 |
Attenuator |
1->4 |
|
Jospa Ltd |
€177,539 |
Attenuator |
1->2 |
|
Cyan Technologies Ltd |
€132,594 |
Overtopping |
1->2 |
|
Blue Power Energy |
€109,280 |
Point Absorber |
1->3 |
|
Wave Energy Ireland Ltd |
€90,120 |
Oscillating Water Column |
1->2 |
|
Sea Energies |
€82,250 |
Oscillating Water Column |
0->2 |
|
CETO Wave Energy Ireland Ltd |
€69,718 |
Point Absorber |
4->5 |
|
Benson Engineering Ltd |
€51,257 |
Point Absorber |
1->2 |
|
Limerick Wave Ltd |
€13,410 |
PTO Developer |
1->4 |
|
JJ Campbell |
€40,040 |
Oscillating Water Column |
1->2 |
|
Waveberg Ireland |
€26,412 |
Attenuator |
1->2 |
|
Key Engineering Services |
€25,310 |
Floating Overtopping |
0->1 |
|
Martin Houston & Sons Ltd |
€13,410 |
PTO Developer |
0->1 |
Technology Readiness Level Scale
Applied and strategic research
1. Basic principles observed and reported
2. Technology concept and/or application formulated
3. Analytical and experimental critical function and/or characteristic proof of concept
4. Component and/or partial system validation in a laboratory environment
Technology validation
5. Component and/or partial system validation in a relevant environment
6. System/subsystem model validation in a relevant environment
System validation
7. System prototype demonstration in an operational environment
8. Actual system completed and service qualified through test and demonstration
9. Actual system proven through successful mission operation
