WaveEL wave energy device, developed and deployed by Swedish wave energy developer Waves4Power, has logged in six months of operation in real sea conditions.
The device was installed at the Runde wave energy test site off Norway in February this year, and has since withstood stormy weather conditions which included winds of 65 mph and above, and waves reaching 15 meters.
The WaveEL system is comprised of an 8 meter long acceleration tube, open at both ends, which goes right through the buoy and is sticking down 30-35 meters below it.
The buoy seems to be unaffected by the harsh weather, and as Waves4Power said looks ‘brand new’.
The device produces electricity using hydraulic pump which is connected to an accumulator that feeds a hydraulic motor with a generator that converts the hydraulic pressure to electric power.
With the deployment at Runde, Waves4Power aims to demonstrate the survivability and energy production capabilities of the device in a challenging wave climate.
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