The oceans cover almost 71% of the earth’s surface, a more than respectable percentage that we have been looking at for some time now with a question hanging in our heads: How to take advantage of them to generate energy? How to take advantage of it in the race to strengthen renewables?
There are a few initiatives on the table.
Over recent years, the energy sector has developed floating solar panels capable of operating and adapting to the rigors of the sea, has opted for offshore wind farms —with different alternatives— and devised ways to take advantage of the tides and waves .
Not long ago, Australia demonstrated how to exploit wave energy with a system , UniWave, which has already been used to power the local grid and supply homes. Spain has also embarked on the same race, with projects spread across the Balearic Islands , the Basque Country or Valencia at different points of development but with a common goal: to benefit from the waves.
Now Sea Wave Energy (SWEL) – a company based in Cyprus and the UK – has just shown us another way to do it, one that looks as picturesque as it is interesting. At least if we stick to the characteristics that their own creators have been unraveling.
His system, Waveline Magnet , basically consists of a floating and elongated device —similar to a mat and with the structure of a spine— that is capable of harnessing the energy of the waves and converting it into electricity. After more than a decade of work, the company has opted for a modular design made up of platforms that allow it to fluctuate with the waves.
The company estimates, notes Inceptive Mind , that under the right conditions and strength each of its Waveline Magnet converters will have a rated capacity of more than 100 MW.
“Even in its current state of development, it can produce substantial levels of energy at exceptionally low cost, even competing with non-renewable sources,” SWEL highlights .
As well as testing it in wave tanks, in controlled environments, the company has experimented with the system in the waters of Larnaca Bay, Cyprus, where it has been subjected to conditions similar to those it will encounter when fully operational in the ocean.
Its flexible and modular design – argues the company – turns the generator into “a piece in motion with the wave itself, creating a unique interaction that allows SWEL to regulate the amount of energy that is extracted from the wave in a controlled and uninterrupted way” .
Another of its great advantages is its low cost . Most of the device is made from recycled materials and its assembly does not require a large investment either.
SWEL technology uses materials and components that can be found and supplied without the need for new specialized production lines or a huge new infrastructure . That keeps the cost of production very low.”
Its maintenance, repairs and transportation would also be relatively easy and would not require too much time. “Instead of conflicting with the wave, the device moves with it, which eliminates survivability issues and minimizes maintenance costs.”