Finalists move ahead in Wave Energy Prize

All nine finalist teams have passed the third technology gate review (TG3) as part of the Wave Energy Prize challenge, securing the chance to test their wave energy devices at 1:20 scale at US Navy’s MASK Basin in Maryland.

The TG3 review verified the level of build progress and test readiness of the identified finalist teams and alternates.

All finalist teams, announced on March 1, have passed the review and will proceed to test their 1:20 scale wave energy converter prototypes at the Navy’s Maneuvering and Seakeeping  (MASK) Basin beginning next month, the Wave Energy Prize administration informed.

Two alternate teams, including WECCA and Mocean Energy, who continued work on their technologies since March, will not get the chance to test their scale devices at MASK Basin in this challenge.

The finalist teams are AquaHarmonics, CalWave, M3 Wave, Oscilla Power, RTI Wave Power, Sea Potential, SEWEC, Harvest Wave Energy and Waveswing America.

The team that ranks the highest after testing the 1:20 scaled WEC device model will be awarded $1.5 million. The second team will win an award in the amount of $500,000, and the third-placed tam will be awarded $250,000.

The winner(s) of the Wave Energy Prize challenge will be announced on November 16, 2016.