Billia Croo, Stromness

On Orkney's rugged west coast, the Atlantic Ocean crashes into the shoreline with great force. This powerful stretch of sea at Billia Croo is home to EMEC's grid-connected wave energy test site, constructed in 2003 and opened in 2004. Since then, it has helped place Orkney at the forefront of marine renewable energy.

The site is located in one of the most energetic wave environments in Europe. Waves here typically reach 2 to 3 metres high, but during severe storms they can grow to as much as 18 metres. These waves are created by winds travelling across vast stretches of the North Atlantic, creating waves which carry huge amounts of energy towards Orkney's shores.

Located 2 kilometres offshore, the site consists of five offshore test berths, each connected to shore by a subsea cable. These pre-installed connections allow developers from around the world to deploy and test wave energy technologies in real sea conditions. The cables carry the electricity generated offshore back to the EMEC substation, where it is conditioned before being fed into the national grid.

The site is supported by specialist monitoring equipment, including waverider buoys measuring wave height, period and directions, a weather station and remote observation systems. Together, these provide detailed information about sea conditions and device performance, helping developers understand how their technologies operate in one of the world's most challenging marine environments.

Billia Croo has played a key role in wave energy history. In 2004, Pelamis Wave Power's P1 machine became the world's first offshore wave energy converter to supply electricity to a national grid. This landmark achievement demonstrated that wave power could move beyond the drawing board and into the real world.

Today, Billia Croo continues to attract researchers, engineers and technology developers from across the globe, reinforcing Orkney's reputation as a unique place where new energy ideas can be tested, proven and shared.