E.ON has announced that the P2 wave power device it is currently testing in UK waters has generated power for the first time.

The 750kW device - named the Vagr Atferd - is currently on trial at the European Marine Energy Centre's Billia Cross site in Orkney and is the first P2 to be tested anywhere in the world.

Amaan Lafayette, Marine Development Manager at E.ON, said: "This is a really important step for us and for the marine power industry as a whole.

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"This is the first stage of a testing programme that is scheduled to last around three years. This is a crucial time for us and will help to determine what we need to do to ensure that marine energy makes the transition from a potential player in the renewables market to commercial deployment, not just in the UK but around the world."

The machine is 180m long and weighs around 1,300 tonnes. The motion of the waves produces electricity by driving a set of hydraulic rams at the hinged joints, which link the cylindrical sections of the device.

Vagr Atferd means wave power and was chosen by Matthew Rendall of Stromness Primary School in Orkney, following a competition in May this year.

(CD/GK)