Full speed ahead to deployment
WaveRoller® Pilot Power Plant arrives in Portugal

January 20, 2012

The dawn of 2012 saw the arrival in Peniche, Portugal of the three WaveRoller® Pilot Power Plant machine room blocks. Fully tested and sealed, the blocks are awaiting installation of the WaveRoller Panels, which are being built by a subcontractor in Peniche.

Once the panels have been mounted the three units will be attached to the mooring platform and a test placement will take place in the harbor to help ensure a smooth and streamlined final deployment.

Final deployment of the Power Plant will take place when the seas calm down during the coming months. Once the plant is in place the sub-sea cable will be connected and Portugal will switch over to WaveRoller power!

Download and read the Project Surge Newsletter January 2012

Favorable winds for Pilot Power Plant
First WaveRollers soon to leave the assembly line

October 10, 2011

Final testing and assembly of the first 3 x 100 kW WaveRoller power plant are underway at a subcontractor site in Kotka, Finland. After "wave breaking" test results from the Power Take Off system earlier, the crew now wants to eliminate any possible problems that might arise during and after deployment.

Alignment of the main shaft seats in the plant's three units is being completed, while the PTOs and all other electrical equipment are installed. The test rig is moved from one machine room block to another as every unit is individually tested. Special attention is paid to pressure testing. The helium method is used for third party verification of the integrity of the machine room blocks.

Despite minor delays caused by the late arrival of certain parts and services, the team is confident that shipping will take place at the latest by the end of December 2011. This will be followed by deployment as soon as the weather permits in Peniche, Portugal.

Meanwhile, talks continue with several utility companies concerning commercial applications. The pro-renewable energy atmosphere in Europe was recently boosted by Germany's decision to give up nuclear energy by 2022. With the country dependent on nuclear power for 23 percent of its energy supply, major german utilities are increasingly turning their attention to renewables.

Download and read the Project Surge Newsletter #4 / October 2011

Promising test results for WaveRoller - power output exceeds expectations

The Power Take Off system (PTO) of the first 3x100 kW WaveRoller power plant got high scores in its final bench test as output capacity proved to be far higher than expected. The PTO was extensively tested over a six-week period in several different wave states, each corresponding to real-life conditions.

The results of the test sequence have attracted the interest of several utility companies, including previous collaborators and new potential partners. Their representatives have visited the test-facilities and held further talks concerning possible commercial applications.

- "The test proved to be a success for the WaveRoller, the whole team is excited and we're all really thrilled to see the system operating in a real marine environment ", said Mr John Liljelund, CEO of AW-Energy Oy.

The PTO is now being transported to Kotka, Finland, where it will be fitted to the machine room block and other important precision-work such as alignment of the main shaft seats will be conducted. By the month of May the power plant will be ready to be shipped to the deployment site in Peniche, Portugal, where final assembly of the flaps will take place.

Meanwhile, in preparation for final installation, on-shore infrastructure is under construction on land leased from the city of Peniche.

Time Ripe for Third Wave of Renewable Energies

Wave power today faces the same challenges as wind power 20 years ago.
Consequently there opens new opportunities as the renewables scene welcomes marine energies.

- "There are still different technology paths to follow, but over the years some will drop out in favor of a few which became mainstream technologies, " predicts Professor Peter Lund of the New Energy Technologies Group of the Aalto University in Helsinki, Finland.

Being one of the frontline scientists in renewable energies in Europe, Professor Lund points out that many wavepower technologies currently are at an interesting phase, scaling up from concept scale to energy scale applications. Now they need to prove themselves in order to form the third wave of renewables after wind and solar energies.

- "Waveroller distinguishes itself in a positive way as a near-shore sub-surface technology," says Professor Lund to WaverollerChannel.

See the whole interview here.

Pilot WaveRoller Power Plant Operational by Mid-2011

The first of three machine room blocks of the initial 3x100 kW Waveroller power plant is starting to take shape – and well on schedule. The casting of the shafts and hydraulic rams keeps good pace to meet the next important step, the final test sequence.

Scheduled for January 2011, the 1:1 scale test will evaluate the entire power take off system, including automation, hydraulics and power electronics. A test rig is constructed around the Waveroller-unit to create artificial "waves" and to simulate actual sub-sea conditions. The aim of the benchmark test is to adjust the system to work as planned, simulated and tested in smaller scale.

Once testing completed the pilot Waveroller power plant will be shipped to its deployment site in Portugal, where the flaps are manufactured and the final assembly will take place. Down in Peniche all is set for final deployment in the summer of 2011. Soon Portugal will switch on to wave power!

Plenty of wave energy to be harvested close to shore.

by Colin Barras, New scientist on May11thrd 2010

SINCE the oil crisis of the 1970s kick-started interest in wave power, it has become received wisdom that only offshore waves are worth tapping into. As a result, the varied designs competing to rule the waves have been banished to distant, deep waters where conditions are rougher and engineering costs highest.

Now a reassessment suggests that waves closer to shore are not such puny prospects after all, raising the hope that harvesting energy from waveswill become easier and more economical than previously imagined.

Read more

Global Installed Capacity of Ocean Energy to Reach 3.8 GW by 2015, According
to New Report by Global Industry Analysts, Inc.

by Steven Sande on May 3rd 2010 at 1:00PM

Europe, Oceania, and North America lead the global ocean energy market, as stated by the new market research report on ocean energy market. Ocean energy, one of the most abundant and predictable energy sources is capable of supplying about 10% of the global electricity needs. New interests and technological advancements are giving rise to new industry activity. Though the market was hit by declining oil prices during the 1970's, the sector is reviving, owing to increased concerns over global warming, rising oil prices, and the need for energy security. The significant rise in the number of commercial projects being undertaken across the world is an indication of the growing importance of ocean energy. Industry growth depends on breaking the barriers of defining policies to support development, expanding cooperation between private and public sectors, setting industry standards, and ensuring sustained development of new technologies.

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European Marine Energy Centre drafts wave and tidal device standards to be
used across UK.

by Steven Sande on May 3rd 2010 at 1:00PM

Global standards for judging the performance of wave and tidal-powered devices drafted by the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) are to be scrutinised by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and nationally recognised across the UK.

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