Ireland narrowing wave energy field

Wave energy pioneer Pelamis said Friday it was put on the short list of companies slated for a role alongside Irish utility company ESB.

The Irish government aims to install its first wave energy project, the five megawatt WestWave facilities, by 2018. It's already secured support from the European Commission.

Pelamis Wave Power said it's been selected as one of the developers set to participate in the next stage of a competitive procurement process.

Last year, the Pelamis P2 wave energy system was connected to the Scottish grid for an accumulated 7,500 hours, contributing 160 MW of electricity to the nation's grid.

The system works by converting wave energy into electricity using a snake-like device deployed offshore.

Each unit in the system can generate as much as 100 kilowatts of electricity during normal wave conditions in northern Scottish waters. It operates routinely in waves as high as 8 feet.

"We firmly believe that Pelamis technology offers compelling advantages in terms of both power capture and survivability," Pelamis Chief Executive Richard Yemm said in a statement.