Wave and Tidal Energy Pilot Plants
The list of wave energy companies which have put up pilot plants is discussed below. Wave Energy Companies Company Technology Country Year Started Stage Wave Star Energy Attenuator Denmark 2000 Pilot WAVEenergy Overtopper Norway 2004 Pilot Seabased Point Absorber Sweden 2003 Pilot SeaPower Pacifi c Oscillating Wave Surge Converter Australia 1999 Pilot Ocean Wave Master Attenuator U.K. 2002 Prototype Wave Energy Technologies Point Absorber Canada 2004 Pilot C-Wave Attenuator U.K. 2002 Prototype Trident Energy Point Absorber U.K. 2003 Prototype Ocean Navitas Point Absorber U.K. 2006 Prototype Aquamarine Power Oscillating Wave Surge Converter U.K. 2007 Prototype Source: Greentech Media and the Prometheus Institute for Sustainable Development Wave Star Energy (www.wavestarenergy.com) The Wave Star device consists of a long structure pointing into the oncoming waves, with a series of floats attached to booms on either side. The company, Wave Star Energy, has had a 1/10th scale device with 40 floats of one metre diameter generating up to 5.5 kW connected to the grid since July 2006 and has logged up over 17000 hours of operation. Seabased Seabased works in close cooperation with researchers at the Division for Electricity, Department of Engineering Sciences, at Uppsala University, Sweden. The group has world leading expertise in generator construction. A wave research park on the Swedish west coast has been initiated by Uppsala University. The project started in 2006 and is expected to remain in operation until 2014. Ocean WaveMaster Formed in 2002 to develop a technology which utilizes the differential pressures under wave peaks and troughs to drive submerged turbines. The wavemaster concept is here with the proof of concept and tests conducted a possible scalable version of this technology would be capable of producing 50kW with a 1 Metre wave swell. In 2003, Wavemasterreceived funding from the Carbon Trust to work with NaREC to build and install a 20m proof of concept model. Testing appears to be ongoing as this is the last update on their site. Wave Energy Technologies Based in Canada, this technology named theWET EnGen is capable of converting ocean energy into mechanical energy to either generate electricity or produce desalinated water. The system works by having a secured mooring with a protruding spar attached and a mounted power conversion mechanism attached to a float, moving up and down with the waves. The company is currently commercializing the technology and is looking for investment partners for its 200kW design which they claim will be able to produce power from 8ckWh to 15ckWh short term with long term target of 5ckWh. WaveBob Originally founded in Ireland in 1999, WaveBob is now working with Chevron, Vattenfall and Georgia Tech Research Institute and targeting a market of offshore oil and gas, utility companies and Renewable energy developers for their product. The buoy itself is quite large with a 20m diameter and 8m height, and according to WaveBob’s website is capable of producing 500kW of power. WaveBob have plans for a wave farm off the West Coast of Ireland and have opened a US branch in Annapolis. CWave Working with Wolfson Unit, CWave have produced a working conceptdevice. Capable of harnessing the continual gap between waves, further development of this concept unit is a little hard to tell as last news item was 2006 and no recent information appears on their site. http://www.unenergy.org/index.php?p=1_49_Wave-Power Other prominent pilot plants: Other systems exists on a less developed phase, however may be tested at sea in the coming years. Prominent Companies Developing Tidal Energy Company Name Technology Country Year Started Status BioPower Systems Oscillating Hydrofoil Australia 2006 Pre-pilot Marine Current Turbines Horizontal Axis Turbine U.K. 2000 Commercial Open Hydro Open-Center Turbine Ireland 2005 Pre-commercial Hammerfest Strøm Horizontal Axis Turbine Norway 1997 Pilot Ocean Renewable Power Co. Horizontal Axis Venturi Fence Turbine U.S 2004 Pilot Scotrenewables Horizontal Axis Turbine U.K. 2002 Pre-pilot Lunar Energy Horizontal Axis Venturi Turbine U.K. 2001 Pre-commercial Tidal Generation Horizontal Axis Turbine U.K. 2005 Pre-pilot Blue Energy Canada Vertical Axis Fence Turbine Canada 1984 Pilot Source: Greentech Media and the Prometheus Institute for Sustainable Development Company Profiles BioPower Systems: This Aussie startup is developing both tidal and wave energy turbines and is now working on two pilot projects, one for each technology, with Hydro Tasmania and aims to get them running by 2009. Marine Current Turbines: The British startup boasts to have the world’s first and largest commercial-scale tidal turbine, its 1.2 MW SeaGen. The startup’s partners include large European banks and utilities like EDF Energy, BankInvest and Northern Ireland Electricity. Open Hydro: The Open Hydro tidal is an Irish company based in Dublin with manufacturing facilities in Greenore, Co. Louth. The Open-Centre Turbine’s simple design means that it can withstand harsh ocean tides, while having no impact on marine mammals since it has no oils that can leak, no exposed blade tips and a significant opening at its centre. A grid-connected turbine is currently being tested at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in the Orkney Islands. The company developed a purpose-built installation barge, which was used for the second- generation device recently deployed. Testing of the turbine is ongoing at EMEC. The company has won two commercial contracts to build devices in the Channel Islands and Canada. Ocean Renewable Power: The Maine-based startup has plans to develop ocean and tidal current energy generation projects. The company has started installing its turbines off the Maine coast and its longer-term goals include installations in Alaska and Florida waters. (2006) Hammerfest Strøm: A 300kW prototype tidal turbine generator is installed in Kvalsund, Northern-Norway, generating electricity along with providing much valuable knowledge. The prototype was installed in 2003, and became the world’s first tidal turbine to convert the kinetic energy in tidal water into electricity, and delivering power to the national grid.
Tidal Energy Pilot PlantsThe list of prominent companies which have put up tidal energy pilot plants is given below.
The turbine was designed for a three years trial period, but was operated for approximately four years. The main aim of the HS300 is to provide information for the further research and development of the company’s technology.
The HS300 forms part of the company’s test facility in Kvalsund, consisting of the prototype itself, subsea infrastructure and the onshore station. Hammerfest Strøm intends to continue the use of this facility for R&D purposes, feeding information into both the HS1000™ project, and future development of the next generation of the technology.
