E.ON is to launch a wave power energy generation trial in Britain next year, the British arm of the German energy group said on Monday.

E.ON UK plans to install and trial a single generation device, which is being built in Edinburgh in Scotland, at the European Marine Energy Centre in the Orkney Islands off the north Scottish coast, it said in a statement.

The first year of testing of the 750 kilowatt Pelamis P2 technology will be an extended commissioning period, with the next two years designed to improve the operation of the equipment.

E.ON claimed it would become the first utility to test a marine energy device at the Orkney centre, which is the only grid-connected marine test site in Europe.

It expects the programme to help pave the way for the commercialisation of the technology in the UK and worldwide and the rollout of more of the equipment around Britain.

"We recognise much work has to follow before we can be certain marine energy will fulfil its potential," Amaan Lafayette, Marine Development Manager at E.ON, said. "But the success of this device will give us the confidence to move to the next phase of commercialisation, which is larger arrays around the UK coastline."