First pioneered in Scotland, the Oyster is a breakthrough in engineering genius that allows for cheap, effective energy production from offshore waves to harness tidal energy without needing conventional turbines for power generation. Being placed in 33-54 feet of water the Oyster operates by utilizing hydraulic pumps for power energy generators built into its base, producing power through a gentle rocking motion as waves both come in and retreat. The power is then fed back to a land-based transfer station for processing and distribution across a grid.

Both easy to develop and effective provided the right conditions the developers at Aquamarine Power, the creators of the Oyster, speculate that a mere 20 of these devices placed around a coastal area could produce enough energy to comfortably power over 9,000 homes. Assuming an average of four people living in each home that’s roughly 36,000 people with cheap, effective, clean power all from a few machines placed far off the coast where nobody need be bothered by their presence (except for perhaps some local fishermen, of course).

Currently the first Oyster was deployed off the coast of Scotland near Orkney and has been effectively producing 24-hour power since November of last year. Studies are continuing into the viability of the Oyster in other environments as well as the scalability of the device in order to allow smaller production and the ability for it to be installed in some areas with much less suitable coastal regions that Scotland may have to offer.

Albeit a small step forward the Oyster is a monument to modern development and is proof that progress is being made into further affordable renewable energy sources, particularly in areas such as hydropower outside of conventional dams. With any luck this successful endeavor will encourage additional focus upon hydroelectric energy and may help bring about further advancements away from carbon-heavy energy in the near rather than far future.