The second version of the Penguin wave energy converter is soon to be deployed off Orkney, after the tremendous success of the test installation.
The ocean energy sector is all about innovation and has been evidence of some remarkable advancements as well as cutting-edge technologies in the last two decades. Oceans are definitely the energy frontiers future.
With 75% of the earth’s surface being covered by water, the huge potential of clean, continuous, energy production that wave energy could provide is rapidly increasing interest throughout the world.
Tidal energy is an energy that takes advantage of the rise and fall of the seawater produced by the gravitational action of the sun and the moon to generate electricity cleanly. It is, therefore, a source of renewable and inexhaustible energy that uses the energy of the tides produced in the oceans
Tidal energy converters are quickly becoming the face of the ocean energy sector with rapid developments. Floating tidal devices have been created that work without needing any expensive all heavy foundation systems.
Penguin, a device developed by a Finnish energy company called Wello is already making waves in the ocean energy sector. The vessel is positioned away from the wave breaking zone and uses rotational energy from waves to generate power that can be directly transported to the grid through underground cables.
Wello’s key invention is to convert wave movement to gyration, which is then amplified. The asymmetrical shape of the Penguin is used to capture the energy from the waves from all directions. The roll of the device spins the rotator inside the device, directly capturing the energy in the waves. Power is led from the rotator to generator using the same shaft eliminating conversion losses. The produced electricity is then exported via a subsea cable.
The 1600-tonne Penguin device is around 30 meters long, nine metres in height and has a draft of around seven meters. Only two meters are visible above the water surface. The device first arrived in Orkney in June 2011 and was first deployed at the Billia Croo wave test site in Summer 2012.
The Penguin was reinstalled at Billia Croo in March 2017 as part of the Horizon 2020 funded Clean Energy From Ocean Waves (CEFOW) research project coordinated by Fortum.
During this time, both the moorings and the Penguin have been tested in some of the harshest ocean conditions experienced in years – proving the survivability of both the components and device.
“In October (2017) the Penguin was subjected to some of the biggest waves in decades when hurricane Ophelia ravaged the North Atlantic Ocean. During the storm, the waves hit a height of 18 meters, some of the worst conditions any wave energy converter has ever been though. Throughout the storms the Penguin kept producing continuous, clean, renewable energy,” Wello said.
The second version of the Penguin wave energy converter is said to have reached 110% increase in power production as it gears up to join its ‘younger sibling’ deployed off Scotland. The Penguin WEC2 has been launched and is due to be towed to the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney, Scotland imminently.
While construction of the WEC2 was completing, Wello’s research and development team has announce that it has reached new records with its latest design, according to the Finnish company.
“The most recent iteration of the device produces 25% more energy than the soon to be deployed WEC-2. The new design functions significantly better at lower wave heights, increasing operational hours as well, up to 4700 hours per year in some cases,” the team said in a statement.
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