The wave energy field is lagging far behind wind and solar, but the pace is finally starting to pick up. One of the latest developments is a new design approach that is so simple and intuitive it almost hurts, from the Finnish company Wello Oy.
A wave energy converter disguised as a boat
The US is one of the nations hungry for wave energy fast decarburization. “The theoretical annual energy potential of waves off the coasts of the United States is estimated to be as much as 2.64 trillion kilowatt-hours, or the equivalent of approximately 64% of total US-scale electricity generation in 2021,” says the US Energy Information Administration.
The biggest challenge is how to convert the kinetic energy of waves into an electric current without exposing the mechanical systems to salt water. Part of the solution is to encapsulate the working components in a sheath or hull, which is basically how any boat builder would protect a boat’s guts.
Wello has turned the approach to boat design on its head, however. Rather than design the hull for maximum stability, the company’s “Penguin” wave energy converter is designed to be as unstable as possible.
The design approach comes from Wello founder and CEO Heikki Paakkinen, who spent his early years growing up in Finland, building boats and experimenting with non-motorized propulsion.
“During these testing phases, Heikki came to realize that if a device is the right shape, it needs to move a stored mass in the device in order to rotate,” Wello Oy explains on her website.
After reviewing other available wave energy conversion devices on the market, Heikki was convinced that no one else was going down that path, which led him to found Wello Oy in 2008.
The first full-size prototype of the Penguin was ready for action shortly after, in 2011, designed to maximize rotational forces.
“The device’s unique asymmetrical shape is designed to capture the energy in the waves from all sides of the device. As waves crash into the hull, The Penguin spins in place, spinning around a central point, transferring and absorbing the energy of the waves hitting it,” explains Wello.
Wave energy conversion: perseverance pays off
That sounds simple enough, but moving from the 28-meter prototype to the 44-meter commercial version was a time-consuming affair that involved multiple real-world tests to assess and fine-tune controls, power production and survivability.
The prototype device completed four separate launches in the North Sea from the European Marine Energy Center test site. As described by Wello, the device lived up to expectations, “having survived waves of more than 18 meters, which was invaluable for the technology, the construction of the berth, the cable connection, the control software and the construction of the power take-off for subsequent models.”
In 2019, Wello had the 44-meter version of the Penguin in his pocket, calling it “one of the highest energy production devices made.”
“This Penguin sets the benchmark for state-of-the-art wave energy technology, improves power generation compared to the previously used device in Orkney and offers a 380% increase in energy production,” they enthused.
The dangers of ocean energy
Wello’s design approach also takes into account hazards at sea, including collisions and other accidents. The hull features four separate watertight compartments, allowing the Penguin to float if damaged. The Penguin can also be towed and brought to shore for repairs if necessary.
Those attributes came in handy shortly after the Penguin launched on its first deployment, on a site off the coast of Armintza, in the Basque Country, Spain.
The deployment began in August 2021. Everything seemed to be going according to plan until December, when the remote control system discovered a small leak. The first assumption was that a floating object hit the device. Once the Penguin was towed to shore for repairs, however, the consensus was that the damage was somehow caused early, when the Penguin was towed to its location.
That probably led to some adjustments in the launch protocols. It also illustrates some of the challenges that wave energy developers in general face, helping to explain why the entire field has not yet reached the same momentum in wind and solar.
More renewable energy for islands
Marine mishaps aside, Wello has steadily amassed an A-list of partners including the global engineering firm Saipem, Enel Green Power, Business Finland, IXIN (a branch of the Indian firm) IXAR), the venture capital firm VNT management and the Finnish investment company innovator.
That was enough to convince the Barbadian government to back the company’s pitch to develop a 5-megawatt wave-powered wind farm for the small, oil-dependent island nation.
Last August, Wello signed an agreement with Export Barbados (formerly BIDC, the Barbados Investment and Development Company). They don’t let the grass grow under their feet.
The Penguin wave energy converter will go to Consett Bay, presumably next year, if not sooner.
“The kick-off of the project will start immediately; both Wello and BIDC want wave energy to be deployed as quickly as possible. Barbados and the Caribbean have high wave generation capabilities, with continuous and stable energy production on an annual basis,” explains Wello.
Wello also notes that wave energy is continuous, unlike wind energy and especially unlike solar energy. That is an important consideration for energy planning in island communities, where suitable land locations for renewable energy development are limited.
“Wave energy will add stability to renewable energy production; wind and sun are very variable in nature,” says Wello. “Together, these resources will result in stable energy production that requires minimal amounts of energy storage or backup resources.”
Wello quotes Mark Hill, the CEO of Export Barbados, as explaining further. “We are increasingly aware that our oceans are a latent but huge resource that can contribute significantly to the economic development of the country, especially now in a climate that needs innovation and economic diversification to survive,” he said.
Natural, green hydrogen
Barbados could ultimately exert an undue influence on the wave energy field in general, and on the role of green hydrogen in providing island nations with a pathway to renewable energy.
The Penguin 5 megawatt agreement includes an option to increase capacity to 50 megawatts, with electricity going to a green hydrogen production facility.
“Barbados aims to become a center of wave energy technology, providing their production and services based on Wello’s technology to neighboring countries and islands,” predicts Wello.
Barbados already has more than one card to play as a role model for decarbonisation. While Wello deals with the maritime corner, the French firms HDF energy and Ruby are collaborating on a green hydrogen facility on land that will utilize an on-site solar array and a lithium-ion energy storage system.
As an exercise in agrivoltaicsthe solar panel will also feed the largest flock of sheep in Barbados.
The International Finance Company and IDB Invest provide institutional support to the project, further underlining Barbados as a showcase for renewable energy development among island communities.
As for the US, the Ministry of Defence is one of those who support wave energy R&D, in addition to the Ministry of Energy, to achieve both goals for national security and decarbonisation.
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Photo: “Penguin” wave energy converter harnesses the power of marine renewable resources (photo courtesy of Wello Oy).
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