Photograph courtesy of CorPower Ocean
CorPower Ocean, a wave energy developer from Sweden, has presented its newly-built half-scale wave energy device in Portugal earlier this week.
The presentation gathered a number of ocean energy generation enthusiasts, as well as CorPower’s Portuguese partners Composite Solutions, WavEC Offshore Renewables and ASM Energia, who provided updates on the technology.
Patrik Möller , CEO of CorPower Ocean, said: “The completion of our latest generation composite buoy structure is an important milestone in our ongoing pilot program, aiming to demonstrate reliable and competitive wave energy harvesting in close collaboration with leading European partners.”
The next step for CorPower’s half-scale device is dry-testing in Stockholm, which will be followed by deployment in real-sea conditions at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC).
The Stage 3 demonstration program involves Iberdrola Engineering and Construction, WavEC Offshore Renewables, the University of Edinburgh, EMEC, SP and Composite Solutions.
Corpower’s wave devices have power take-off (PTO) design that combines the high load capabilities from hydraulics with the efficiency of mechanical drive.
Its buoys oscillate in resonance with incoming waves, and by using the WaveSpring phase control technology which amplifies waves’ motion, the device significantly increases the power capture, which is then converted to electricity, according to CorPower Ocean.
CorPower’s technology has received financial support from the Swedish Energy Agency, and investments from KIC InnoEnergy and Wave Energy Scotland, resulting in a successful fundraising campaign where the company secured €6.5 million for the Stage 3 demonstration of its wave energy technology.
More recently, CorPower Ocean secured its spot as one of the finalists running for $100,000 prize as part of Ocean Exchange platform.