A mining company based in Suriname has selected technology firm Wärtsilä for the supply of an energy storage system as part of its sustainability strategy.

Wärtsilä will provide a 7.8MW/7.8MWh energy storage system to help decarbonise energy at the mine.

The project is the first utility-scale energy storage plant to be built in Suriname and Wärtsilä’s first in the Latin American country.

Once operational in late 2022, the project will help reduce the need for emergency back-up spinning reserves at the mine.

This will help reduce fuel consumption and reliance on conventional energy for decarbonisation and reduce energy costs.

The energy storage system is expected to avoid the emissions of 5,600 metric tonnes of carbon per annum.

The system will be integrated with Wärtsilä’s digital energy platform for optimised control once integrated with existing energy resources at the mine.

Near real-time control of the integrated system is expected to help the mining firm to improve the lifespan of generation engines and reduce operational and maintenance costs.

The platform will be used to identify opportunities to integrate renewable energy to further decarbonise mining operations, further reduce operations costs and provide clean electricity to surrounding communities.

A new wave energy converter, developed by Scotland’s AWS Ocean Energy, has arrived in Orkney to be deployed at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC).

The 16kW Archimedes Waveswing arrived at Hatston Pier, Kirkwall before being transported by ferry to Copland’s Dock in Stromness, UK, where it will be readied for deployment and testing at EMEC’s Scapa Flow test site.

EMEC is a facility for demonstrating and testing wave and tidal energy converters and is based in the Orkney Islands, the small archipelago off of Scotland’s coast.

The £3.4 million ($4.6 million) prototype project has been funded by Wave Energy Scotland (WES) as part of the Novel Wave Energy Converter development programme.

Simon Grey, CEO of AWS Ocean Energy, said: “The whole team at AWS is looking forward to getting our at-sea testing programme underway at EMEC.

“Our current Waveswing design focuses on remote power applications such as powering subsea oilfield assets and oceanographic monitoring, however, the device is suitable for integration into submerged platforms and can be scaled to over 500 kW per unit. AWS expect to develop platforms hosting up to 20 units with a potential capacity of 10MW per platform.

“The exciting thing about Waveswing is that it’s genuinely scalable and practical to integrate into a multi-absorber platform. Achieving power outputs comparable with offshore wind units is critical to driving down the cost of energy and ensuring that operation and maintenance is practicable in the hostile marine environment.”

The energy converter weighs 50 tons, is seven metres high, and has a diameter of four metres.

According to AWS, the Archimedes Waveswing is moored to the seabed on a single tension tether when deployed and sits below the surface of the sea, reacting to changes in pressure caused by passing waves.

The Waveswing is designed to operate in rough sea conditions, as well as to react to long ocean swell waves as well as short, wind-driven seas, for high energy capture.

The South Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy has awarded Ocean Winds and Aker Offshore Wind with a contract to develop the Korea Floating Wind project.

Ocean Winds is a joint venture of ENGIE and EDPR and will partner with Aker Offshore to develop the 870MW floating wind energy project.

The project will be constructed by Korea Floating Wind (KF Wind), a new joint venture between Ocean Winds and Aker Offshore Wind.

The project will be Ocean Winds’ first large-scale floating project.

The contract awarded by the South Korean government is part of efforts to expand the country’s portfolio of clean capacity.

South Korea has set a target to generate 20% of its energy from renewables by 2030, of which up to 12GW is expected to be sourced from offshore wind, according to the statement. The main goal is to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

The target is expected to help South Korea reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40% by 2030 compared to its 2018 peak.

Factors including increases in energy efficiency, technology innovation, hydrogen production and renewable energy deployment will help South Korea achieve its sustainability goals, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).