Richard Yemm is the British inventor of the

Pelamis Wave Energy Converter The Pelamis Wave Energy Converter was a technology that used the motion of ocean surface waves to create electricity. The machine was made up of connected sections which flex and bend as waves pass; it is this motion which is used to generate ele ...

and was director of the former Pelamis Wave Power, a company he founded in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

in 1998. In 2014 he co-founded a new company, Quoceant, who are engineering consultants specializing in marine energy and technology innovation.

Biography

Yemm studied

mechanical engineering Mechanical engineering is the study of physical machines that may involve force and movement. It is an engineering branch that combines engineering physics and mathematics principles with materials science, to design, analyze, manufacture, and ...

at the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

from 1985 to 1989, graduating with a first class honours degree. As an undergraduate, he was also awarded a Half Blue for sailing in 1986–87 by the

Edinburgh University Sports Union Edinburgh University Sports Union (EUSU) is the representative body of sixty-seven University of Edinburgh sports clubs. Edinburgh University sports teams compete in the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) and Scottish Student Sport ...

, denoting performance to a high standard. He completed his PhD in 1994 under Professor

Stephen Salter Stephen Hugh Salter, (born 7 December 1938) is Emeritus Professor of Engineering Design at the University of Edinburgh and inventor of the eponymous Salter duck wave energy device. Salter is also a proponent of geoengineering and is responsib ...

, former

Saltire Prize The Saltire Prize, named after the flag of Scotland, was the national award for advances in the commercial development of marine energy. To be considered for the £10 million award, teams had to demonstrate, in Scottish waters, a commercially v ...

medallist and inventor of the Edinburgh duck wave energy device. He went on to pursue a career as a self-employed design and development engineer on renewable energy projects, gaining experience in the wind energy industry. He invented the

for generating electricity from marine waves, and established Ocean Power Delivery Ltd in 1998 to develop the product. The company is now called Pelamis Wave Power Ltd. Yemm was CEO until August 2007, raising substantial investment and gaining commercial orders from 2005 onwards. He then became CTO of the company. Yemm was Chairman of the Board of Scottish Renewables trade association for over five years, and is active in promoting renewable and wave energy.

Recognition

In March 2012 Yemm was presented with the

medal by Scottish First Minister

Alex Salmond Alexander Elliot Anderson Salmond (; born 31 December 1954) is a Scottish politician and economist who served as First Minister of Scotland from 2007 to 2014. A prominent figure on the Scottish nationalist movement, he has served as leader ...

. The chief executive of

Scottish Renewables 'Scottish Renewables'' is the trade body for Scotland's renewable energy industry. Since 1996, it has been working to grow Scotland’s renewable energy sector and sustain its position at the forefront of the global clean energy industry. Scottish ...

, Niall Stuart, said, "Richard Yemm will undoubtedly be looked upon as one of the most influential people to the development of Scotland's marine industry; from the drawing board to grid connected devices and making important steps to commercial scale projects."

References

External links

Pelamis Wave Power Ltd
website
Quoceant Ltd
website {{DEFAULTSORT:Yemm, Richard Scottish inventors Alumni of the University of Edinburgh College of Science and Engineering Scottish mechanical engineers Scottish company founders Living people People associated with renewable energy Year of birth missing (living people)