US-based wave energy developer Atmocean has deployed its full-scale Waverider pump off the east coast of Canada.
The deployment was completed on September 24, 2017, off Lord’s Cove town in Newfoundland.
The Waverider captures ocean wave energy – both surge and heave – to produce pressurized seawater which is piped onshore for desalination, or sustainable land based aquaculture.
“Based on our full-scale pilot tests in Peru in 2015, and 5 rounds of wave tank testing at Texas A&M in 2016, Atmocean designed the new Waverider for higher pumping efficiency while exhibiting a 50% reduction in capital expenditures,” said Christopher White , Atmocean’s Chief Operating Officer.
Atmocean produced the full-scale pump this August in New Mexico and shipped it to the College of North Atlantic’s Wave Energy Research Center (WERC) in early September.
The deployment location is fully permitted and provides an ideal test bed for vigorous testing, according to Atmocean.
“Maintaining a focus on modular design, Atmocean continues to use small boat operations and therefore is able to make numerous low cost deployments. This accelerates installing a commercially viable system comprised of 16 Waverider pumps in Southern Perú by the end of 2018,” White added.
The deployment is part of Atmocean’s project with the College of North Atlantic at Lord’s Cove which seeks to develop a land based integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) system.