Trident’s PowerPod will now be tested at the port in the North West of Scotland, facing the Isle of Skye.
The news follows a recent fund-raising boost and the award of a SMART:Scotland grant earlier this year.
It will enable the firm to gather operating data to inform commercial designs and performance modelling.
PowerPod is designed to attach to offshore infrastructure, such as wind turbines or oil & gas platforms, to generate renewable electricity and reduce reliance upon offshore diesel generation.
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As part of the tests, the PowerPod prototype will be attached to the side of a deep-water jetty.
The purpose of using Kishorn is to expose the device to moderate waves which are less extreme than fully developed waves in the Atlantic Ocean. This means the trials can be carried out without incurring the costs and risks associated with offshore deployments.
Trident Energy will test a range of control systems during the trial period which will start in spring 2013, subject to marine licence approval. The lease with Kishorn Port is for an initial period of 1 year.
Jonathan Armstrong, Chief Operating Officer of Trident Energy, said: "Looking for a jetty on which to test our co-located wave technology posed two challenges. First, jetties are largely in sheltered locations. Second, most structurally sound jetties have other on-going operations. Kishorn represents a great solution – the site is a legacy from oil & gas construction in the 1970s and offers a substantial, unused deep-water jetty which is exposed to energetic waves from the SW. The management team at Kishorn Port have been extremely supportive and we look forward to working with them as we install and test our PowerPod technology."
(IT)
