Wello starts Penguin II testing

Finnish wave energy developer Wello has begun the testing of its Penguin II wave energy converter off Canary Islands, Spain.

According to Wello, the testing of the 1:5 scaled device is expected to last for three months, although the length of the trials might be modified following the obtained results.

During this initial testing phase, the mechanical behavior of the device will be analyzed, after which the complete power take-off (PTO) testing will follow.

The tests are being performed off Gran Canaria Island, at the Oceanic Platform of the Canary Islands (PLOCAN) test site.

Earlier this year, Wello was boosted with €17 million granted by the European Commission’s research and innovation programme, Horizon 2020, for the CEFOW wave energy project whose aim is to advance the use of the Penguin wave energy converter.

Wello’s Penguin converts the waves to electricity with continuous rotational movement.

In a floating element, motion energy is directly captured by a generator, resulting in conversion from movement to electricity, thus avoiding the need for hydraulics.

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Image: Wello/Scaled Penguin II at PLOCAN