Vi Maris Award – 2020

The OEE industry award Vi Maris (Force of the sea) recognises excellence in the ocean energy industry. The industry award acknowledges individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the ocean energy sector.

The award winner is selected by a subcommittee of the Ocean Energy Europe board, who have extensive experience of the sector and who are not affiliated to a particular company. 

This year’s award will be presented during the OEE2020 event.  

The 2020 award nominees are:

• Mario Iglesias Casal, Magallanes Renovables
• Jason Hayman, Sustainable Marine Energy
• Audrie Jordan, former GEPS Techno
• Tim Cornelius, SIMEC Atlantis Energy
• Tony Lewis, OceanEnergy Ltd

Mario is responsible for the Magallanes Renovables ATIR project. An engineer, Mario has been working in renewable energy since the start of his career. 

The ATIR project was launched in 2007, the technology has moved steadily through its development phases, working carefully from sub-scale to full-scale. The second-generation device was successfully deployed for testing in 2018 in the Fall of Warness, Scotland.

The first company of its kind in Galicia, Magallanes has taken proven technology from the wind and naval sectors and used their expertise to propel Spain’s ocean energy sector to the forefront.

Jason’s fascination with the ocean began early, first with a love of boats which grew into a career in naval architecture and sustainable engineering.

Founded in 2012, Sustainable Marine Energy has gone through many hurdles, learning and improving with each obstacle. Their latest modular, floating design, the PLAT-I, attempts to address operational costs by making it easier to service and therefore minimise disruption. It has been successfully tested in Europe and in Canada. 

Following their merger with Schottel Hydro in 2018, SME has become a powerhouse in providing turnkey tidal solutions. The company is currently working on a 9MW tidal farm in Canada’s Bay of Fundy, which is set to be the largest tidal farm in the world.  

Audrie leads the commercial team of GEPS Techno, the first French company to develop a full-scale wave energy device. Audrie has vast experience in the maritime transport industry, and has been instrumental in GEPS Techno’s drive towards commercialisation. Currently undergoing testing in Nantes, the 150kW Wavegem device contains 120kw wave capacity and 30kw solar capacity.

Wavegem is designed to generate clean energy for offshore and subsea activities that require a power supply. Almost a full year into its testing, the device has survived 7m waves. The device has received the Solar Impulse Efficient Solution Label, promoting 1000 solutions that are clean and profitable, and have a positive impact on the quality of our environment.

Tim is at the helm of tidal powerhouse SIMEC Atlantis Energy. With a former career in oil and gas, Tim made the switch to renewables and has not looked back since. An industry leader, Atlantis currently operates the largest tidal farm in existence, MeyGen, with 6MW installed capacity. Tim is a staunch supporter of sustainable energy, and SIMEC Atlantis Energy continues to lead the sector on the road to decarbonisation.

Tim has worked hard to prove that sustainable energy is not only good for the planet, but also a viable economic decision. The company bolstered ocean energy’s early credibility by publicising their early production figures. In 2014, SIMEC Atlantis Energy became the world’s first publicly quoted tidal power company on the London Stock Exchange. Their MeyGen project currently holds the record for tidal energy production with 28GW generated to date.

Tony has been called ‘the father of ocean energy’, with over 40 years of experience in the sector. A teacher, researcher and the CTO of wave developer OceanEnergy, Tony has been spearheading ocean energy from the very start. He led the first MaRINET programme and was at the forefront of the founding of Ireland’s MaREI Centre, which has over 200 researchers focusing on the energy transition, climate action and the blue economy.

OceanEnergy Ltd. spent years testing and tweaking their WEC device and have now built their first full-scale device, which will be installed and tested in Hawaii. A great example of international cooperation, OceanEnergy Ltd has been working with national bodies both in Ireland and the US, as well as commercial technological partners.