Protean Wave Energy plans to deploy additional wave energy converters (WECs) at Bunbury wave farm during this quarter after an independent review of the results from the recent offshore trial is completed.
The additional deployments are expected to lead to deployment of larger array to demonstrate the commercial feasibility of Protean technology, the company informed.
Protean also informed the appointments of renewable energy consulting firm EcoFin, its partner WaveEC, and a global engineering firm to critique the Protean WEC technology have aid Protean to develop a plan for finalizing feasibility studies and determine the most effective course of action towards commercialization.
The company said it has provided information required to start the initial phase of an engineering development study , and the numerical modelling study , whose outcomes, combined with performance data from early short term deployment and next stage of trials, will form the basis of a design optimization review process to be completed ahead of the manufacturing of a larger array of buoys.
Furthermore, Protean has completed the transfer of technological know-how and intellectual property, including designs, drawings, engineering calculations and assembly requirements, related to the current Protean wave energy buoy design from its inventor Sean Moore and Moore Commerce.
Accordingly, Sean Moore has stepped down as the company’s Chief Technology Officer, and will support Protean’s commercialization program in a consulting capacity, Protean informed.
Bruce Lane , Managing Director of Protean, said: “Sean and Moore Commerce team have completed steps to prove concept and we thank the team for their innovative efforts and contributions in reaching this pivotal stage in the development of our Protean wave energy converter. We must now focus on the practical and economic aspects of design, constructability, installability and operability in this next stage of the WEC development.”
To remind, the first Protean WEC as part of the wave energy demonstration farm at Port of Bunbury, Western Australia, was installed in May this year.
The wave farm will be deployed progressively, with two more buoys to be deployed as part of the first stage. It will be in operation until September 30, 2016.