The Oyster
Company: Aquamarine Power
Much like its namesake mollusk, the Oyster sits on the seabed, opening and closing its jaws. The device is a large hinged flap attached to the ocean floor at a depth of about 35 feet. As the flap opens and closes, it drives hydraulic pistons that squirt high-pressure water onshore, where it drives a conventional hydroelectric turbine. "In essence, the Oyster is simply a large pump which provides the power source for a conventional onshore hydroelectric power plant," says Carrie Clement, a spokeswoman for Aquamarine.
A 0.32-megawatt Oyster has already been installed in Scotland, where it began feeding power to National Grid in 2009. Now Aquamarine Power is working on creating a 2.4-megawatt Oyster bed in the Orkney Islands in Scotland. The submerged design protects Oyster's equipment from storm damage and allows it to keep working in all kinds of weather.
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