Atmocean, a US-based wave energy developer, has launched phase two of its ocean wave energy demonstration program off Ilo, Peru.
Atmocean has redeployed its wave energy system that was retrieved on July 29, 2015, after it was under sea trials for three weeks.
In this second phase of the trials, the system will be deployed in the ocean for up to 6 months to confirm performance and durability data.
According to Atmocean, the objectives of the second phase should be realized by mid-summer 2016, allowing the commercial operations to begin.
Atmocean’s demonstration system consists of of 5 pumps and 5 buoys, and represents 1/3 of the complete commercial system.
The system is capable of producing both electricity and fresh water out of sea water through desalination process.
As reported earlier, the system will not produce electricity for the time being, and will be focused only on fresh water production through desalination process using Atmocean’s zero-electricity reverse/osmosis (ZER/O) system.
Philip Kithil , Atmocean’s CEO, said: “The first use of ZER/O will be to drip-irrigate coastal deserts, growing agricultural crops while drawing down atmospheric CO2. Our projections indicate this market alone could result in installation of over 100,000 systems in the coastal deserts worldwide by 2035. With that volume, our costs will drop dramatically, opening up the wave-driven electricity market which currently is not economically feasible for any wave energy system.”
Atmocean wave energy system operates by capturing the rising and falling motion of ocean waves to drive a piston in a cylinder which pressurizes the seawater. By connecting several seawater pumps together as an array, this pressurized seawater can be sent to the onshore converters.
Atmocean is based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA. The company has set up a Peruvian subsidiary to seize the opportunities available in Latin America and Peru.
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Image: Atmocean