Shell Joins Wave Power Project in Scotland

Shell has become the latest energy major to join an innovative wave power project in Scotland aimed at decarbonizing subsea operations.

The £2 million demonstrator project – dubbed Renewables for Sea Power, or RSP – has connected the Blue X wave energy converter built by Edinburgh-based Mocean Energy with energy management specialist Verlume’s Halo underwater battery.

The pair of technologies, deployed almost a year ago, are currently powering subsea equipment in the seas off Orkney through a combination of wave power and subsea energy storage, and are designed to showcase a cost-effective alternative to subsea umbilical cables used in oil and gas operations.

Shell’s involvement gives it access to all data and results from the current test program as well as a feasibility assessment of the use of RSP technology at a location of the company’s choice.

Other companies that have joined the project include TotalEnergies, Baker Hughes, Serica Energy, Harbour Energy, Transmark Subsea, PTTEP, and the Scotland-based Net Zero Technology Center, or NZTC.

“This new investment by Shell underscores the international interest in our pan-industry project and we look forward to working with them and exploring potential new applications for RSP’s combined technologies,” said Ian Crossland, commercial director at Mocean Energy.

The Orkney deployment is the third phase of RSP following a successful second testing phase carried out in 2021 at Verlume’s 20,000-square-foot facility in Aberdeen.

Verlume’s battery storage system has been designed for harsh seawater environments, and is based on an intelligent energy management system called Axonn that optimizes available battery capacity in real-time.


Shell, TotalEnergies, and Baker Hughes are members of the Breakbulk Global Shipper Network, an extensive networking platform for executives operating at the top end of the project supply chain. The next in-person meet-up for BGSN members will be at Breakbulk Middle East 2024, taking place on 12-13 February at the Dubai World Center in the UAE.

TOP PHOTO: Verlume’s Halo and Mocean Energy’s Blue X during quayside operations.