Finnish wave energy developer Wello has informed that its Penguin wave energy device survived several major storm waves of up to 13 meters during the ongoing trials taking place off Scotland.
Wello said Penguin’s mooring system performed well with no maintenance requirement or even indications of component wear.
Also, power generation of the device has been in line with expectations based on simulations and scale tests, according to Wello.
The Penguin wave energy converter has been permanently deployed at the European Marine Energy Centre’s (EMEC’s) grid-connected wave test site at Billia Croo since March 2017.
Heikki Paakkinen , CEO of Wello, said: “This Penguin device represents our early design and doesn’t reach those figures that we expect from our next unit, which we are constructing at Netaman shipyard at the moment.”
To remind, the Penguin device currently deployed at EMEC is the first of three wave energy converters due to be installed at the centre over the next three years as part of the CEFOW (Clean Energy from Ocean Waves) project, funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program.
Wello also received €2.5 million through EU’s H2020 SME2-funding program for its Power Module device development.
Power Module is Wello’s new wave converter device, which is the next evolution from the Wello Penguin wave converter technology.
Wello Power Module can be installed on any large offshore vessel or ship, where it produces renewable offshore electrical energy.
In parallel with the energy production, the device is absorbing the vessel’s motion in waves, which helps vessel stability and thereby improves vessel safety and comfort at sea, according to Wello.
Wello sees great potential for the Power Module installations in offshore vessels for the oil & gas industry, fish farms, as well as for next generation cruise liners which target high level of sustainability.