Interview: Powerpier gears up to tame the waves with Havkraft tech

Once only a multi-purpose concept, a solution that uses already existing breakwaters coupled with integrated wave energy devices has become a reality in the Powerpier project that will soon be deployed for trials offshore Norway. Geir Arne Solheim, the chief executive officer of Havkraft – a technology company that will supply wave energy converters for the project – has shared more details on this novel development.

The Powerpier project, led by Norwegian company Marina Solutions with partners Ulstein Betong Marine and Havkraft, will be capable of both offering protection from the waves, as well as exploiting them to produce clean power.

Namely, the developers are making great progress towards the forthcoming Powerpier deployment, set to take place offshore Norwegian town of Ålesund, with the Havkraft Wave Energy Converter (H-WEC) units already installed on the test breakwater.

H-WEC consists of small modular units with multiple chambers able to pick up a broad spectrum of frequencies in the ocean.

“We can basically fit the H-WEC into any offshore or coastal-near operation, since it is totally scalable and independent of both carrier and materials”, explains Geir Arne Solheim, Havkraft’s CEO who is also an inventor and the founder of the company.

This makes it possible to produce wave energy more efficiently than earlier, as the scalability of the modular units makes sure that all relevant wave heights and wave lengths are picked up and converted into applicable wave energy pistons that run the turbines, Solheim said.

A floating Powerpier to last a century

The Powerpier project, which received a deployment approval from Norwegian authorities late in 2020, represents a perfect wave damper for marinas, according to Solheim. At the same time, the waves are not going to waste, because they are converted into sustainable, affordable and nature-friendly electricity.

Two H-WEC units will be mounted onboard the Powerpier, which can be further expanded to the total of 20 units on a 50-metre long breakwater, Solheim said.

The testing will go on for a few months only, according to Solheim, before the product will be offered to a wider market.

“You could say that we provide ‘self-financing piers’, since the power-production over time will contribute to the down-payment of the pier. Ordinary piers are usually very costly, not only to build, but also to operate and repair.

“A floating Powerpier can be coated to last for a century, which means that the electricity produced will be significant over the years, securing good revenues. I believe that this is the future of piers and marinas on all coastlines”, Solheim said.

Within weeks, an add-on system – an H-WEC mounted on the outside of the floating pier – will be ready for demonstration offshore Norway, and will show how converters can be fitted into different solutions, according to Solheim.

Tailor-made solutions a way forward

There are many ways to retrofit existing jetties, like the ‘Ulsteinflåten’ pier for Powerpier project. According to Solheim, integrated solutions for piers and barges are under development together with different partners.

“Our clients are not interested in the machine itself, but in the machine’s results. Once we have identified the client’s requirements in a project, we can tailor the right size of the wave energy plant with maximum efficiency at a minimal cost. We can deliver add-ons, integrated solutions and even stand-alone power plants. I believe this is the future of wave energy”, Solheim said.

Solheim, who has worked in the wave energy industry since the nineties, is currently looking for other offshore energy players interested in developing this solution for worldwide applications.

“Eventually we will offer solutions for all types of offshore operations, from coastal-near fish-farming, piers and marinas, to offshore fish-farming, oil and gas platforms and hydrogen-production. Short-travelled energy from the ocean that can replace emissions from important operations is the way of the future.

“The space efficient wave energy converters are not only important to target climate change, but also essential to target a sustainable way to preserve the biodiversity. To us ocean life matters”, concluded Solheim.