Wedoany.com Report-Oct. 21, Checkmate Flexible Engineering has received a £750,000 grant from Innovate UK to advance the development of its Lobe-Tendon Anaconda wave energy converter, a device designed to generate clean electricity from ocean waves. The 18-month project, named Môr Neidr—Welsh for “sea snake”—builds on two years of internal research and aims to enhance Southwest Wales’ role as a center for marine renewable energy innovation.

The initiative involves collaboration with Swansea University, CGEN Engineering, the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult, and Wave Venture. Together, the partners will develop new hardware, testing equipment, and research facilities to prepare the Anaconda technology for sea trials at the Welsh Marine Energy Test Area (META).

Checkmate director Paul Auston said: “This grant allows us to accelerate the Anaconda’s development and build on the innovation our team has already delivered, with a clear path toward future sea trials. It’s an exciting step forward, not just for Checkmate, but for the future of wave energy in Wales and the Celtic Sea, where we see enormous potential to deliver clean, predictable power at scale.”

The Anaconda captures wave energy using a patented bulge-tube system composed of a reinforced natural rubber outer layer and multiple internal tendons made of high-performance rubber. As waves move along the flexible tube, pressure bulges form and travel toward a power take-off system at one end, where the motion is converted into electricity. The system can adjust internal wave speed to optimize power generation or withstand harsh sea conditions.

Dr. Brian Mathew, MP and member of the Marine Energy All-Party Parliamentary Group, said: “I welcome this exciting news, and I’m pleased to see innovative solutions on renewable energy like this being well supported and funded. It’s testament to the incredible expertise we have here in Wiltshire, and I will be watching on keenly in the coming months and years to see how the Anaconda develops.”

Vice Admiral Sir Adrian Johns, KCB, CBE, KStJ, DL, added: “As a former seafarer, I am fully aware of the power of the sea and the as yet untapped potential for harnessing wave energy. Having followed Anaconda’s progress over many years from the earliest scale model water tank trials, I am delighted that this truly innovative project will now be able to take the next big step towards delivering clean, renewable energy at full scale.”

Over the next 18 months, the project will integrate advanced numerical modeling, tank testing, materials research, and construction of a 1:4-scale prototype section. Checkmate stated that the results will refine the Anaconda’s design and establish valuable resources for the broader wave energy industry. The company estimates that commercial deployment of wave farms in the Celtic Sea could provide consistent renewable power and contribute up to £1 billion to the Welsh economy by 2050.