by Erikka Askeland

A RENFREW-based marine engineering group has won a £1 million contract to build 50-tonne wave energy converter.

Malin Renewables, part of Glasgow-based Malin Group, will build a partial-scale device called the Archimedes Waveswing for AWS Ocean Energy. The unit will be built at Malin’s Westway Park site

in Renfrew.

Ben Sharples, director of Malin Marine, said: “This particular project enables the team to utilise their expertise in hydraulics, electrical power, air systems, pressure vessels and mooring, delivering an integral piece of equipment for the wave energy sector.”

AWS is funded by Wave Energy Scotland (WES), the Scottish Government’s £30m marine energy investment and support programme.

Last year, AWS was one of two companies chosen by WES to win a share of £7.7m to test devices at the European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney this year. If the half-scale machines’ testing is a success then they will go to full-scale development.

Malin said the deal was a “developmental step” towards building Waveswing devices at its Scottish Marine Technology Park (SMTP).

Malin, along with Scottish Enterprise, is spearheading a plan to establish a marine engineering development on a derelict 47-acre site on the Clyde in West Dunbartonshire. Malin expects the SMTP will eventually create 1,000 jobs. It will feature a fabrication facility and a deep-water jetty with a 1,100 tonne ship hoist needed to support commercial wave energy technology of this scale.