The collaborative project, looking to exploit the surf waves to produce clean electricity, has been officially launched in the Maldives.
Launched on May 9, 2018, the project involves the testing of two half-scale prototypes of the wave energy converter (WEC) units, designed by the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST).
The technology, developed as part of the project launched in 2013, captures energy from surf waves along the shoreline to produce electricity.
The project is the brainchild of Professor Tsumoru Shintake of OIST, the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MEE) of the Republic of Maldives and Kokyo Tatemono Company Limited (Kokyo) of Tokyo, Japan.
One of the principal features of the WEC-units is that the generating turbines are designed to be located at the mean sea level to harness the wave energy most effectively.
The initial trial will be followed by two full-scaled prototype models with 0.7-meter diameter turbines, expected to be installed in September 2018, OIST said earlier .
The project was launched at Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives.