Wave energy device set to light up seafront of Valencia

March 8, 2023, by Amir Garanovic

A wave energy device, developed by the Spanish company Rotary Wave, has been installed in Valencia to provide clean electricity for the public lighting at the city’s seafront.

Installed early in March 2023, and financed by the EU-funded MAtchUP project and the Valencia City Council, Rotary Wave’s device will capture energy from waves and turn it into light for the seafront, one of the most energy-intensive parts of the city.

The device, similar to a float, has a simple operation. It is placed in the sea and connected to a hydraulic arm. The force of the waves causes a constant and repetitive movement of elevation and descent of the float which, through a hydraulic system, transfers the energy generated to the electricity generation equipment.

In this system, the water is pressurized and not oils, like in most of these type of devices, which avoids any impact on the biodiversity of the coast. It will drastically reduce the emissions generated by public lighting and will cover around 40% of the energy demand in this part of the city, according to the MAtchUP project.

The Port of Valencia authorized the occupation of 105 m2 (77 m2 of land and 28 m2 of water) of the port’s public domain in the area of the hammerhead of the access channel to the Marina for the installation of the device.

The installation of the device in Valencia Marina (Courtesy of Valencia City Council)

The wave energy device, costing close to €500,000 according to Valencia City Council, has been installed on a small area in the northern part of the port, where the forces of the waves are more favorable, and also to avoid any potential effects on biodiversity or navigation.

The 20kW device is expected about 130,000kWh per year, which is equivalent to reducing the annual CO₂ production in the city by 16 tons.

The councilor for Climate Emergency and Energy Transition of Valencia City Council, Alejandro Ramon, attended the installation of the float for the wave energy device. Welcoming the progress, Ramon said the installation will allow the sourcing of sustainable and renewable energy from the sea waves, adding the move will also provide more insights on energy generation potential of the city’s wave resources.

The official launch and the start-up of the device is expected to take place in the coming weeks, according to the Valencia City Council.