Wave energy hydropower developer Aquamarine Power has unveiled the design of its Oyster 2 wave energy converter, which will be built in Scotland this summer.

The 800-kW device will measure 26 meters by 16 meters and will deliver 250 percent more power than the original Oyster 1, which was successfully deployed at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney last summer, Aquamarine reported.

The new Oyster device incorporates design improvements on Oyster 1, enabling it to produce more energy, be simpler to install and easier to maintain.

The company will begin deployment of three Oyster 2 devices at EMEC in summer 2011. All three devices will be linked to a single onshore 2.4-MW hydroelectric turbine. A farm of 20 Oyster 2 devices would provide enough energy for more than 12,000 homes.

The European Marine Energy Centre, a test center for commercial-scale wave and tidal energy hydropower devices, is expanding to attract international businesses with smaller prototypes at earlier development stages, EMEC reported.