The company plans to have the technology for commercial roll-out next year but before then will deploy more units at the test site for performance monitoring and further design development.

A full scale Ceto III unit testing is also planned for 2009.

The Ceto system is based on the seabed and uses arrays of submerged buoys that move with the waves and drive tethered pumps to convey pressurised seawater to shore via a small bore pipeline. The supplied water can either be used for power generation or in reverse osmosis desalination, said the company.

While developing the wave energy technology, the London AIM-listed company is also active in other renewable resources, such as wind power.