Sweden’s project gets €1.7M boost for wave energy converter technology

The INFINITY Project, coordinated by Sweden’s RISE Research Institute, has received €1.7 million in funding from the Clean Energy Transition Partnership (CETP) to advance lifetime-aware model predictive control (MPC) technology for wave energy converters (WEC).

The three-year project, starting in December 2024, will include real-time testing of a 1:3 scale InfinityWEC PTO system, conducted on a hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) rig at VGA facilities in Italy. 

According to Ocean Harvesting, the new funding will support power take-off (PTO) system improvements designed to reduce material use per MW installed and lower the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) in wave energy applications.

This test phase is expected to validate the real-time effectiveness of the newly developed MPC, featuring high-fidelity models created by the Centre for Ocean Energy Research (COER) at Maynooth University and a lifetime-aware, non-linear algorithm by Politecnico Di Torino. By optimizing the system’s lifespan and performance, the project aims to achieve a 20% reduction in LCOE.

“The INFINITY project will pave the way for model predictive control on real-time control systems, which will significantly reduce LCOE for wave energy,” said Mikael Sidenmark, CEO of Ocean Harvesting. 

“Our InfinityWEC is designed specifically to benefit from advanced control algorithms in order to maximize energy production, and also control motion and loads for reliable operation and long life.”

According to Ocean Harvesting, the InfinityWEC PTO is built for efficiency, using direct-drive ball screw actuators alongside a hydrostatic pre-tensioning system to deliver instant force control. 

The PTO system’s buoy, made from ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) in a honeycomb structure, is lightweight yet highly durable, enabling low material costs and improved resilience. Together, these elements are expected to cut both CAPEX and OPEX relative to the system’s energy output.

In June, following a funding call for €500,000 to support design enhancements for the InfinityWEC and prepare it for sea trials, Ocean Harvesting unveiled its work on the sixth generation of its InfinityWEC. This includes a moment-based MPC for better simulation and control.

A study, led by European universities, showed that wave energy could rival the cost-effectiveness of offshore wind by the 2030s at favorable locations. The findings are especially relevant for densely populated countries and regions with limited onshore renewable energy potential, which would otherwise rely on energy imports.