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C O M M E N T A R Y
Ocean Energy Surges
Forward as Exciting Source of Alternate Power by McKINLEY CONWAY
editor bounce@conway.com I
have never met Kenichi Horie, but I am one of his most enthusiastic admirers. In my opinion he is one of the world's boldest and most creative futurists. When he was 23 years old he sailed a small yacht solo across the Pacific from Japan to San Francisco. In later years he honed his sailing skills with solo nonstop voyages around the world.
To explore new concepts, Kenichi sailed a solar-powered boat from Hawaii to Japan, again solo. That was followed by an incredible solo voyage from Hawaii to Japan on a small pedal-powered boat. Yes, pedal-powered! During his lonely months at sea Kenichi had a lot of time to observe the relentless energy of ocean waves. At the same time, he watched dolphins glide alongside by simply moving their tails to gain forward thrust. He pondered how he could propel his boat so effortlessly and dreamed of a system that required no physical effort, used no fuel and created no pollution. Experts agreed that this was impossible. Throughout the history of mankind nobody had ever developed any such marvelous invention.  Kenichi Horie demonstrating his wave-powered boat, the Suntory Mermaid II. image source: www.koreatimes.co.kr/.../080305_p17_life.jpg
There is a powerful lesson here for every energy user. While the world struggles to keep up with its enormous appetite for fuel, we are overlooking solutions right before our eyes. What Kenichi has done is just the beginning of a new era of ocean energy utilization. A breakthrough!
Since the earliest days of mankind people have been aware of the energy in the splashing waves, shifting tides, and powerful currents of the oceans. For centuries those with inventive minds have been tantalized by this seemingly boundless energy resource surrounding them. Finally, our generation is privileged to be the one to witness the capture of this elusive energy. Spurred by economic and environmental pressures, there are scores of significant new projects around the world that involve new technology and creative investment. We are witnessing the rapid emergence of a new mix of ocean energy projects that will soon bolster the wind, solar, and other alternate energy ventures in operation. Ocean energy has special appeal because the basic economics look so good. Water is more than 800 times as dense as air and thus represents a very concentrated form of energy as compared with wind. Ocean energy systems should also be less vulnerable to interruptions than those dependent on wind or sunshine. Of course, large ocean energy projects will bring questions about impact on the environment. For most projects, however, it appears that environmental conflicts can be managed. Ocean energy developments fall into four groups that seek to capture different forms of energy:
Each of these developments poses plusses and minuses. Let's take a quick look at each of them. Stream energy
The Egyptians and Chinese developed water wheels to grind their grain 2,000 years ago. A bit later waterwheels were installed throughout the Roman Empire. Thousands of water wheel power units sprang up in England long before the steam engine appeared.
Soon after launching the settlement at Jamestown in 1607, the Virginia Company began building water mills using skills brought from Europe. The practice spread and by 1650 the Massachusetts colony could boast of having mills for grinding grain, running sawmills and powering an iron factory. During the 1700s, mills were built throughout the colonies. In 1840 a man named Samuel Fitz of Hanover, Penn., began manufacturing metal water wheels. He sold more than 1,000 units in Pennsylvania and more than 700 in Virginia. Water wheels were an accepted community fixture for many years. As late as the 1920s I remember going with my Dad to a water-driven grist mill near our home in Hackleburg, Ala., to get our corn ground into meal. At the same time, water wheels powered the industrial development of New England and the textile mills of the South. Mill sites were at the top of the site selection checklist for corporate facility planners. We recite this bit of history to remind that there was a long period when the nation depended on river stream energy. Back to the future! Today the water wheel industry is making a big comeback in many less-developed parts of the world. Hundreds of new manufactured small water wheel turbine units are being installed at remote sites where there is a small river or creek flowing year-round. These small stream units are obviously important to people who live in areas not linked to a grid. However the big excitement is being caused by new projects that promise to harness the stream energy of the oceans. The prize is infinitely bigger, and the simple water wheels have evolved into much more sophisticated systems called turbine power units. The new turbines are not to be confused with the multi-bladed turbines that power jet airplanes. Those operate at very high temperatures and spin at several thousand revolutions per minute. The underwater turbines are more like the big fans seen at wind energy farms. They usually consist of two or three propeller blades turning very slowly. Future undersea turbines will probably be rated at around 1,000 kW each, and will be located in "farms" somewhat similar to present-day wind farms — but less noisy and out of sight. A large array of them could meet power needs on a grand scale. That is the possibility that is intriguing global strategists. Around the world, planners are looking at ocean streams known to exist at such prime locations as the Strait of Gibraltar, the Strait of Bosporus in Turkey, the Torres Strait off Australia, the Strait of Malacca between Indonesia and Singapore, and the Cook Strait in New Zealand. Experiments have already been conducted in the Strait of Messina between mainland Italy and Sicily. Another experimental project seeks to capture energy from the Gulf Stream off the coast of Florida. The big ocean stream projects are going to be expensive and complex. It will take another 10 years to get them in operation and have a significant impact on world energy needs. Thermal energy
Ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) is a method for generating electricity using the temperature difference that exists between deep and shallow ocean waters. The technology received considerable attention in the 1980s and several projects were launched. Japanese interests, led by Tokyo Electric, undertook a project at Nauru in the central Pacific and the United States set up a facility at Kona on the big island of Hawaii.
I was intrigued by these efforts and made a trip to both sites. At Kona I learned that the cold water from 3,000 feet (914 m) below the surface not only provided a temperature differential but also brought up rare marine organisms of interest. It appeared that OTEC projects might pop up at a number of island sites from Puerto Rico to Guam and Samoa. Unfortunately this enthusiasm was dampened by Pacific storms that knocked out the pioneering installations. OTEC systems must of necessity extend a very long pipe down to deep water, and the pipe is vulnerable to damage from rough seas. In view of this it is our guess that other types of ocean energy will be preferred. Tidal Energy
Projects using tidal flows have intermittent input but otherwise resemble existing hydro installations in that they involve low dams or barrages. These are built at sites where the differences between low and high tides are great — say 15 to 20 feet (4.6 to 6 m). At high tide, sea water is allowed to flow into a basin, then barrage gates are closed to hold the water. At low tide the water is then released to flow back through turbines that drive electric generators.
The first large-scale tidal power plant was built at La Rance in France some 40 years ago and has performed well. The first such plant in North America was developed at Annapolis Royale, on the Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia. I visited that plant soon after it opened in the 1980s. Today there are a number of new tidal projects in various stages of development around the world. Some are experimental or pilot projects, but others are already delivering power. New tidal units face serious environmental resistance. Some of the same objections that have been raised regarding dams also are found where low-level barrages are proposed. The holding basins inundate mud flats that are the habitats of wading birds and other flora and fauna. Opponents argue that the projects would increase coastal erosion in some areas while causing more silting in others. At this point many big tidal projects are being proposed but few are receiving permits.  Pelamis is made by Pelamis Wave Power, Ltd.
Wave Energy
Of all types of ocean energy, this is the one that appears to be ready to break through and open the door to almost unlimited possibilities at once. Opportunities range across the board from small simple units for remote islands to large arrays of highly sophisticated systems to serve population centers.
Waves are found everywhere that there is an ocean. Their strength is influenced by the moon, surface winds and other factors. I well remember that while crossing the Drake Passage between Cape Horn and Antarctica, the waves at times were higher than the ship I was on. The north and south temperate zones and their prevailing westerlies may have the best sites for capturing wave power. However, I can personally attest to the availability of waves almost everywhere. I have walked along beaches in Antarctica, the Caribbean islands, Florida, California, Mexico, Arabian Gulf, Guam, New Zealand, Australia, Thailand, Fiji, Hawaii, Palau, Seychelles, Nice, Djerba, and Beirut, to name a few, and have not seen a shore without wave energy. Some simple wave-capture machines float on the surface. Others are anchored to the sea bed where they are out of sight and less vulnerable to storms. The many varieties already put forward include flappers or pumps that may be either vertical or horizontal. Some involve underwater turbines. Others pump seawater ashore to a turbine to produce electricity, or to a reverse osmosis filter to produce fresh water. A free-for-all competition to capture this new market is already underway. Several of the world's biggest corporations with astute science staffs have entered the fray and begun deploying working machines. Among them are: 
The Wavegen Limpet is made by Voith Siemens Hydro.
"Pelamis" is made by Pelamis Wave Power, Ltd. (formerly Ocean Power Delivery). The first commercial wave farm using Pelamis machines began operation in 2006 off the coast of Portugal. Another is being developed off the coast of Scotland. Other projects are in the planning stage. GE is an investor. The Pelamis machine has a series of semi-submerged sections connected by hinged joints. Motion caused by waves is transmitted to hydraulic pumps that push oil through motors that drive electric generators. The typical output is 750 kW per machine. An undersea cable takes power to shore. The Pelamis is designed to convert only a portion of the energy in a wave rather than absorb all of the wave energy, enabling it to ride out heavy storms. Lying on the surface, it looks somewhat like a big snake. 
Archimedes Wave Swing from AWS
"Wavegen Limpet" is a product of Voith Siemens Hydro. A Limpet plant installed on the island of Islay, off the west coast of Scotland in 2000, is claimed to be the world's first grid-connected, commercial-scale wave energy unit. The original developer, Wavegen, has since been acquired by Voith Siemens Hydro. Wavegen is a shoreline wave energy converter using an inclined, oscillating water column (OWC) built into a cliff. It has a Wells turbine power take-off. Advantages claimed are easy access and maintenance, proximity to grid connections, and simplicity. The Wells turbine has no gearbox or hydraulics and handles variable bi-directional flow. "Archimedes Wave Swing" is a machine from AWS. This is said to be the world's first submerged, wave energy system. The concept was proved in full-scale in 2004 via a pilot plant off the coast of Portugal. The Scottish Government has made a multi-million dollar grant to facilitate the commercial development and deployment of the machine. Also participating is Shell Technology Ventures Fund, an affiliate of Royal Dutch Shell. The AWS wave energy converter is a cylinder-shaped buoy, moored to the seabed. Passing waves move an air-filled upper casing against a lower fixed cylinder, with up and down movement converted into electricity. The device is basically simple with only one main moving part. Developers claim that the underwater machines can survive violent storms and produce more power in less space than other wave generation systems. Alphabetical Index of Companies Involved in Ocean Energy
Able Technologies L.L.C: 330 Audubon Road, Englewood, N.J. 07631. Tel: 201 569 7292. Electric Generating Wave Pipe (EGWaP). ACCIONA Energia: Avda. Ciudad de la Innovacisn, Navarra, 31621 Sarriguren, Spain. Formerly EHN, it is owned 100% by Acciona S.A., and is based in Spain. Has developed 19 small hydro plants. Alternative Energy Systems Ltd: Talleres AES Ltda., Los Alto Box 4082, Cochabamba, Bolivia. Small hydro turbines. Alternative Hydro Solutions: 323 Richmond Street East, #421 Toronto, ON M5A 4S7 Canada. Tel: +1 416 368 5813 Applied Technologies Company Ltd: 16/10 - 301, Profsoyuznaya ul., Moscow, 117292, Russia. Tel./Fax: +7 (495) 125 2225. An offshore Float Wave Electric Power Station (FWEPS) and installation for Hydrogen Production by means of seawater electrolysis. System's components are in the development stage now. AquaEnergy Group Ltd (USA): Has been acquired by Finavera Renewables Ltd. Aquamarine Power: 10 Saint Andrew Square, Edinburgh EH2 2AF, Scotland. "Oyster" is fixed to the seabed and swings back and forth with each wave. This motion captures energy and pumps high pressure water to onshore hydroelectric equipment. Technology from Queens College, Belfast. AW-Energy (www.aw-energy.com), AW-Energy Oy: Lars Sonckin kaari 16 (Terra Building), FI-02600, Espoo, Finland. Tel/Fax: +358 9 7262404. Developer of "WaveRoller." AWS Ocean Energy, AWS Ocean Energy Ltd: Redshank House, Alness Point Business Park, Alness, Ross-shire, IV17 0UP, Scotland. "Archimedes Wave Swing." An investor is Royal Dutch Shell. Balkee Tide and Wave Electricity Generator. Raj Balkee, Plateau Road, Goodlands, Mauritius. Tel: +230 2838764 BioPower Systems Pty. Ltd: Suite 145, National Innovation Centre, Australian Technology Park, Eveleigh, NSW 1430, Australia. Has $10 million funding for wave power projects in Tasmania. Blue Energy Canada Inc: 1950 West Broadway, Vancouver, B.C. V6J5C2. Developing the "Blue Energy Ocean Turbine." Bourne Energy: Box 2761, Malibu, CA 90256. Starting to develop "OceanStar, TidalStar and RiverStar" ocean energy recovery units. Caithness Corporation: Headquarters, 565 Fifth Avenue, 29th Floor, NY, NY. Development, acquisition, operation, and management of geothermal, hydroelectric, wind, and solar energy power projects. Canoe Pass Tidal Energy Corporation: Campbell River, B.C., Canada. Developing tidal-current energy project in Canoe Pass, which runs between Quadra and Maude islands on B.C. coast - in cooperation with a Calgary-based company called New Energy Corporation Inc. and Focus Environmental. Carnegie Corporation Ltd: 35 Outram Street, 2nd Floor, Western Australia, West Perth 6005, Australia. Tel: 61/08 9321-6881. Has received $15 million funding to develop its CETO Wave Energy. Chevron California Renewable Energy Inc: subsidiary of Chevron Corporation. Researching opportunities in ocean energy. Clearpower Technology Ltd: Northern Ireland Science Park, Queen's Road, Belfast BT3 9DT. Developer of "Wavebob." Clean Current Power Systems Inc.: 405 - 750 West Pender St., Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6C 2T7. Tel: (604) 602-1222. Manufacturer of turbines for tidal energy systems Compagnie Nationale du Rhone, 2 rue Andre Bonin, 69316 Lyon, Cedex 04, France. Develops hydroelectricity from the Rhone and its riparian areas between Switzerland and the Mediterranean. 1,000+ employees. Crest Energy Ltd: 5th Floor, Ballantyne House, 101 Customs Street, East Auckland, PO Box 105774, Auckland 1143, New Zealand. Proposes to build a 200-MW tidal power plant in the mouth of Kaipara Harbour in northern New Zealand. C-Wave Ltd: SETsquared, Southampton Building, 27 University of Southampton, Highfield SO17 1BJ, UK. Daedalus Informatics Ltd: Ikarias 22, Glyfada, Athens, Greece. Hybrid wave and wind system. Daversen Hydro Power Inc: Redcross Bhavan, 2nd Floor, The Mall, Ludhiana, Punjab 141001, India. Delaware Technical & Community College, Owens Campus-Georgetown, DE 19947. "Delbuoy" wave powered desalination De Li Power Industries Ltd: Lian-Hu 2nd Industrial Park, Tang-Xia Town, Dong-Guan 523712, Guang-Dong Province, China, Dong-Guan, Guang-Dong, China 523712. Energy system components. Dexa Wave Energy Co. UK. Dexa is developing Ocean Wave Energy converters based on Plane Angular Modulation (PAM). Two planes or pontoons float in the waves and change angles relative to each other. The tilt action creates oil pressure in a hydraulic cylinder to drive a hydraulic motor and generator to produce electricity. Ecofys: P.O. Box 8408, NL-3503 RK Utrecht, The Netherlands. 150 employees in six countries. Danish partner is Eric Rossen. Testing "Wave Rotor" at Nissum Bredning fjord on the northwest coast of Denmark, where the Folkecenter for Renewable Energy manages a dedicated wave energy test site. (See Wave Star Energy listing.) Embley Energy: Oakleigh, Tockington Park Lane, Almondsbury, Bristol BS32 4JE, UK. Developer of "SPERBOY" floating wave energy converter. EMU Consult, Copenhagen, Denmark. Developing "Wave Dragon" floating offshore wave energy converter, invented by Danish engineer Erik Friis-Madsen. Engineering Business Ltd: Broomhaugh House, Riding Mill, Northumberland NE44 6EG, England. Has developed "Stingray" tidal stream device. A prototype was installed in Scotland's Yell Sound. Entec AG: Bahnhofstrasse 4, St Gallen CH-9000, Switzerland. Hydro projects in Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, Tajikistan, Thailand. Evans Engineering Ltd: Langley Court, Langley Road, Burscough Industrial Estate, Ormskirk, Lancashire, L40 8JR, United Kingdom. Micro-hydroelectric units for rural sites. Finavera Renewables Inc: 595 Burrard Street, Suite 3113, PO Box 49071, Vancouver, BC V7X 1G4, Canada. Has started wave projects in Washington State and Oregon as well as Portugal, Canada and South Africa. Fred Olsen Energy ASA: Oslo, Norway. Shipping magnate Fred Olsen is promoting his "Buldra" wave converter that is situated on an offshore platform built of fiberglass. GE Energy, a subsidiary of General Electric, is based at 4200 Wildwood Parkway, Atlanta, GA 30339. General Electric's Technology Lending unit has extended a loan of $2.6 million to Ocean Power Delivery for its Portugal wave energy farm. Also, GE will take an equity position as part of OPD's $22.5 million program. Generic Wave Energy Device - GWED: Causewayside, Glenaldie, Tain, Scotland, UK IV19 1NE. Tel: +44 1862 892777. Green Ocean Energy Ltd: 29 Abbotshall Crescent, Cults, Aberdeen AB15 9JQ, Scotland. Developer of "Wave Treader" wave energy converter. Grupo Insolar SA de CV (former EcoVertice): Calle 82, Lote 17, Mza. 83, Region 233, Canczn, Q. Roo, Mexico 77510. Marine buoy lights. GuglerWater Turbines: Schaunberg Str.23. 4081, Hartkirchen, Austria Hydam Technology Ltd: 1, Bishops Court, New Street, Killarney, County Kerry, Ireland. U.S. Tel: (353) 6434 624. Developer of the "McCabe Wave Pump," a three-barge, floating wave-energy conversion unit for supplying potable water and for irrigation purposes in remote communities. Iberdrola S.A: 8 Cardenal Gardoqui, 48008 Bilbao, Vizcaya, Spain. Large electric utility. Affiliate Iberdrola Energias Marinas de Cantabria, S.A. Contracted with Ocean Powers Technologies Ltd. of U.S. for development of a wave energy plant at Punta del Pescador, Santoqa, Spain. Inter-American Investment Corporation: 1300 New York Avenue NW, Washington DC 20577. Has made equity investment in C to C Holdings Ltd, a company that will develop and deploy a series of Submersible Power Generators (SPGs) to generate electricity utilizing the flow of ocean and/or tidal currents. Guatemala. Interproject Service AB: Gripensnds, S-640 33 Bettna, Sweden. Promoting "OWEC Buoy;" AquaEnergy is the intellectual property successor. IT Power Ltd: Grove House, Chineham Court, Lutyens Close, Chineham, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG24 8AG, UK. The company is leading a $2 million research and development project on a tidal stream energy device, "Pulse Stream 100." Lion Energy S.A.: 7A Pedelis Avenue, Athens, Greece 15235. Hydroelectric turbines. University of Manchester Intellectual Property Ltd: Manchester, UK. Developer of the Manchester "Bobber" wave converter. Marine Current Turbines Ltd: The Court, The Green, Stoke Gifford, Bristol, BS34 8PD, UK. Has installed its "SeaGen" tidal energy system off the northern coast of Ireland. Nam Nhone Hydropower Co. Ltd: P.O. Box 11544, House 50, Unit 05, Ban Sokpaluang, Sisatanak District, 21000 Vientiane, Lao PDR. A Lao-French (30%-70%) joint-venture. Building a $4 million hydro power plant in Tonpheung district. Neptune Marine Services Ltd (Neptune Renewable Energy): 18 High Street, North Ferriby, East Yorkshire HU14 3JP. Has acquired Aberdeen-based Ross Deeptech Initiatives Ltd. Tidal energy systems and the Neptune "Triton." New Energy Corporation Inc.: 3553 - 31st Street NW, Suite 473, Calgary, AB T2L 2K7, Canada. Tel: (403) 260-5248. Vertical-axis turbine for underwater use. Oceanlinx Inc . (formerly Energetech Australia Pty Ltd) (www.oceanlinx.com): PO Box 116, Botany, NSW 1455, Australia. Tel: 61 2 9549 6300; Fax: 61 2 9549 6399. Developed the Energetech Wave Energy System, a shoreline device. Oceanlinx has projects under development in Australia at Port Kembla in New South Wales, Portland in Victoria, and King Island in Tasmania; and internationally in Rhode Island and Hawaii in the U.S.; South Africa; Mexico; and the U.K. Ocean Navitas Ltd: Nursery House, Marton, Lincolnshire, UK DN21 5BQ. Using the facilities at the New and Renewable Energy Centre in Blyth, Northumberland, for testing 2 kW prototype "Aegir Dynamo" wave energy converter. Ocean Power Technologies Inc.: 1590 Reed Road, Pennington, NJ 08534. Plans to install a 5 MW "Powerbuoy Smart System" project for the U.S. Navy in Oahu, HI. Ocean trials have also been conducted off the coast of New Jersey. OPT is installing a wave farm off the northern coast of Spain in cooperation with the Spanish utility Iberdrola SA. Another full-size demonstration plant is planned for UK waters. Ocean Prospect Ltd, subsidiary of the Wind Prospect Group: 7 Berkeley Square, Clifton, Bristol BS8 1HG, UK. Firm has agreement with E.ON UK, the country's largest integrated energy company, to develop a wave energy project off the North Cornwall coast. The project, to be known as WestWave, is a proposed 5.25-MW wave power generating scheme consisting of seven Pelamis P750 machines, manufactured by Ocean Power Delivery. Ocean Renewable Power Co. LLC: 151 Martine St., Fall River, MA 02723. Has permits for a test of its tidal power system at a site in Maine. Ocean WaveMaster Ltd: 1 Echo Street, Manchester M1 7DP. UK. Other organizations involved in the project: UMITEK; New and Renewable Energy Centre (NaREC); and University of Manchester, Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST). Offshore Wave Energy Ltd OWEL (www.owel.co.uk). Floating offshore wave energy. Open Hydro: 66 Fitzwilliam Square, Dublin 2, Ireland. Firm has developed Open-Centre Turbine technology that is operating at the European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney, Scotland. Nova Scotia Power, an Emera Inc. company, selected Open Hydro's Open-Centre Turbine in 2007 for a tidal energy project in the Bay of Fundy. ORECon Ltd: A spin-out company from the University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA, UK. Has raised $24 million venture capital to build full-scale wave converter. Pacific Gas & Electric: 1 Market Spear Tower, Ste. 2400, San Francisco, CA 94105-1126. Tel: 415-267-7000. Has signed contract for wave power installation off Humboldt County. Pelamis Wave Power Ltd (formerly known as Ocean Power Delivery): 104 Commercial St., EH6 6NF Edinburgh, UK. Tel: +44 131 554 8444. Developer of Pelamis wave converter. GE is an investor. Renewable Energy Holdings: Adam House, 7 - 10 Adam Street, The Strand, London WC2N 6AA, UK. Investing $6 million in a commercial prototype of its wave power generator, after successful trials off the Western Australian coast. SARA Inc.: 6300 Gateway Drive, Cypress, CA 90630-4844. Tel: (714) 224-4410. Is promoting an ocean wave-powered electric (OWEC) generator. SDE Wave Energy Ltd: 15A Lubetkin St., Tel Aviv, Israel 67532. Tel: 03-7397107. Technology for producing energy from sea waves in conjunction with desalination. Seabased AB: Midskeppsgatan 24, 120 66 Stockholm, Sweden. Develops industrial solutions for sustainable conversion of ocean waves. Seapower Pacific Pty Ltd, a joint venture of Pacific Hydro and Carnegie Corporation. Developing CETO wave power converter. Undergoing tests at Freemantle, Western Australia. Sea Power International AB: Essingeringen 72C, Stockholm, Sweden S-11264. Tel: +46 8 6579551. Developer of wave and tidal current energy. SEEWEC Consortium (Sustainable Economically Efficient Wave Energy Converter). Eleven participants from six European nations. Developing "FO3" floating wave energy converter previously known as "Buldra." Segen, Ltd.: Wesley Hall, Queens Road, GB, GU11 3JD; UK. Tel: 0845 084 2445. Has acquired Hydro Generation Ltd. The UK has thousands of old mill sites waiting to be re-activated using modern micro-hydro water turbines rather than water wheels. SeWave Ltd.: SEV and Wavegen have founded this joint venture to develop a wave energy plant in the Faeroe Islands SMD Hydrovision: Wincomblee Rd., Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE6 3QS, UK. The company has developed the "TideEl" tidal stream generator and is planning to build the first plant off the coast of Wales, near Swansea. Tidal Electric has also signed an agreement with the Chinese government to develop a 300-MW offshore tidal lagoon near the mouth of the Yalu River. SRI, Inc. is testing a buoy with "artificial muscle" technology in the waters off St. Petersburg, FL. Stellenbosch Wave Energy Converter project, South Africa SyncWave Energy Inc.: Box 459, 1422 Collins Rd., Pemberton, BC, Canada V0N 2L0. The SyncWave Power Resonator technology is undergoing prototyping in preparation for commercialization. Tidal Electric: 50 Albemarle St., 3rd Floor, London W1S 4BD, UK. Is proposing a tidal energy plant at Swansea. Tidal Generation Ltd: University Gate East, Park Row, Bristol BS1 5UB, UK. Firm is developing underwater turbine. UEK: PO Box 3124, Annapolis, MD 21403. Tel: (410) 267-6507. Manufacturer of turbines for tidal energy systems. Voith Siemens Hydro Power Generation GmbH & Co. KG: Alexanderstra_e 11, 89522 Heidenheim, Germany. Tel: +49 7321 37-6848. Firm has undertaken a tidal current plant in the South Korean province of Wando. Has acquired Wavegen. Waveberg Development Ltd: 73 West 47th Street, New York, NY 10036. Developing wave energy converter. WAVEenergy AS: Company based at Aalgard, 12 miles (20 km) south of Stavanger, Norway. Founded in 2004 to develop the Seawave Slot-Cone generator (SSG) concept. Wavegen (acquired by Voith Siemens Hydro). "Limpet" (Land Installed Marine Powered Energy Transformer). The current Limpet device, Limpet 500, is located on the island of Islay, off Scotland's West coast. It was installed in 2000 and produces power for the national grid. Wave Energy Technology, Nova Scotia. Developing a wave converter — "WET EnGen"converts ocean energy into mechanical energy to produce electricity, and/or desalinated water. Wave Star Energy: A 1:10 scale model has now been in operation and grid-connected since April 2006 at Nissum Bredning in the northwestern corner of Denmark. Since then, the company's test machine has logged almost 4,000 operational hours in the first six months of daily operation, been through seven significant storms and is a major step on the way towards commercial wave power. The test machine has an output of 5.5 kilowatt and can generate electrical power corresponding to the electrical power consumption of two single-family houses. The plan is that it will remain in Nissum Bredning until August 2008. Wave Star Energy has already begun work on the construction of a first series produced 1:2 model of the 6-MW machine, which is the ultimate goal. Geographic index of projects
Australia
Oceanlinx (previously known as Energetech) has installed wave energy projects in New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania. The International Academy of Science named the Oceanlinx wave energy device as one of the ten most outstanding technologies in the world for 2006.
A company began commercial trials of shrouded turbines in in 2002. The firm proposes turbine installations for locations in Canada, Vietnam and elsewhere.
Seapower Pacific has completed a year-long trial off Fremantle, producing electricity from the 66-ft. (20-m) prototype wave machine called CETO. Future plans are to have 125 CETO units that could produce 18 MW of electricity or 12 billion gallons (45 billion liters) of fresh water. Renewable Energy Holdings PLC said it has deployed its first CETO II Wave Energy prototype off Fremantle.
It was announced in 2008 that an Australian ocean energy company, BioPower Systems Pty Limited, has been awarded a $5 million grant under the Australian Government's Renewable Energy Development Initiative (REDI).
Bermuda
The Bermuda Electric Light Company Limited (BELCO) and Current to Current Bermuda Ltd. have announced plans to install an underwater turbine to produce 10 MW power - about one tenth of the island's total need.
Canada
Canada built a 20-MW hydro tidal barrage plant at Annapolis Royale Nova Scotia on the Bay of Fundy in the 1980s. I visited the site soon after it began operating and was impressed with both the facility and the big 20-foot (6-m.) tides that raced across the bay.
British Columbia Tidal Energy Corp. has said it will deploy several 1.2-MW turbines in or along the coastline of British Columbia by 2009.
The province of New Brunswick in 2005 began studies of the feasibility of installing turbines off the coast to generate electricity.
SyncWave Energy is reported to have undertaken a three-year, $15 million demonstration project off the West Coast of British Columbia.
Finavera Renewables is planning a 5-MW wave energy project at Ucluelet, BC. Project participants include Powertech, a division of BC Hydro. Expansion to 100 MW is projected.
Caribbean
Delbuoy located an experimental unit at St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands to generate power and desalt seawater. Unfortunately the installation was wrecked by a hurricane.
GenOtec has proposed a design for a 5 MW OTEC plant at St Croix. Another OTEC plant was proposed for a site off the northern coast of Puerto Rico, but the project has apparently been abandoned.
China
The Chinese government has signed an agreement with UK-based Tidal Electric for a tidal barrage power project near the mouth of the Yalu River. The proposed 300-MW plant would be the biggest one of its type in the world. The Chinese government is also planning a number of other smaller plants.
Denmark
Wave Star Energy is reported to have installed a unit at Nissum Bredning in northwestern Denmark. Officials say the plant has been connected to the grid for several thousand hours and has survived several storms.
France
The 240-MW La Rance power station near St. Malo, Brittany, in France that began operation in 1966 was the world's first significant tidal power installation. It has given good service for more than 40 years providing power for 240,000 homes. It is said to generate power at 3.7 cents per kW hour as compared with nuclear plants at 3.8 cents and thermal plants at 10.5 cents.
Ocean Power Technologies, a U.S. company, is reported to be studying sites along the French coast for a 5-MW wave power station. Also interested in the venture are Total Energie Developpement SAS, a unit of Total SA, and Iberdrola SA.
India
In 2003 it was reported that a 1-MW, floating OTEC power plant was in the final stages of commissioning near Tuticorin port.
India sources report that National Hydro-electric Power Corporation (NHPC) and West Bengal Renewable Energy Development Agency (WBREDA) will launch a tidal power plant on Durgaduani Creek near Gosaba to be in operation by 2010. Another Indian tidal project will be situated at Kutch in Gujarat.
The state government of Maharashtra and Apar Urja Pvt Ltd are said to be planning a 15-kW pilot tidal plant that, if successful, will be expanded to 250 kW.
The National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) in Chennai, Madras, has commissioned an OTEC-powered desalination plant on Kavaratti Island in the Indian Ocean.The LTTD plant is expected to have a capacity of 26,425 gallons (100,000 liters) per day. NIOT is planning to locate other plants at potential sites where effluent water is available from power plants at relatively high temperatures.
A 100-MW floating OTEC Sea Solar Power plant has been proposed for the state of Tamilnadu.
Regency Power Group has set up small hydro power generation projects in Himahcal and Uttaranchal.
Indian Ocean
OCEES International, Inc. is working with the U.S. Navy on a proposed 13-MW OTEC plant on the British-administered island of Diego Garcia. The new plant would replace the current power plant running diesel generators and would also provide 1.25 MGD of potable water to the base.
In the Maldives, ocean energy may be used to provide electric power for a new scheme for habitat restoration called Mineral Accretion Technology. Research done at Ihuru Tourist Resort uses low voltage, direct currents to grow reefs.
Indonesia
The government has undertaken an experimental program to develop micro-hydro power systems for remote areas. The project serves about 5,000 people in the provinces of Nusa Tenggara Timur and South Sulawesi. Most emphasis, however, is on the development of thermal power that is plentiful in various parts of Indonesia.
Ireland
Ireland is reported to have tested a 400-kW floating wave device off the coast of Ireland.
The government has earmarked $35 million for ocean energy development projects and wave energy test sites at Belmullet in County Mayo and Ringaskiddy in County Cork.
Cleanpower Technology, an Irish company, is running a small-scale version of its "Wavebob" machine in Spiddal County, Galway. This is expected to lead to a full-scale buoy that produces 1 MW. This is one of five ocean energy projects funded by Sustainable Energy Ireland. The group is also investing in "Ocean Energy Buoy," "Open Hydro," "AquaBuoy," and "McCabe Wave Pump."
Italy
Italy is reported to have located a 110-kW pilot tidal energy plant in the Straits of Messina.
Japan
Kyushu Electric Co. pioneered a 50-kW OTEC plant at Tokunoshima Island in the 1980s.
The Port and Harbor Research Institute of the Ministry of Transport is developing a Caisson-type Oscillating Water Column to drive turbines producing 60 kW. Tests have been conducted in the Sea of Japan, near Sakata Port in Yamagata Prefecture.
Takenaka Komuten Co. has developed a constant-pressure manifold pump coupled to a 30-kW generator. Tests have been conducted near Kujukuri Beach, Chiba Prefecture.
JAMSTEC, Japan, with funding from the Science and Technology Agency, has developed an offshore floating machine called "Mighty Whale."
Muroran Institute of Technology has developed a "Pendulor" device to capture wave action. Tests are being conducted off Muroran Port in Hokkaido.
Tohoku Power and Mitsui Engineering and Shipbuilding have collaborated to develop a water-valve rectifier machine. A test unit running a 130-kW generator was located in a breakwater serving the Haramachi coal-fired power station in Fukushima Prefecture.
Japan's National Fisheries University, an independent administrative agency, and Saga University have undertaken studies of the feasibility of an OTEC power plant for the island of Okinotorishima.
Korea, South
Korea Water Resources Corp. is funding construction of the world's largest tidal power plant at Ansan City's Shihwa Lake in Gyeonggi Province. The plant will produce 254,000 kW per hour — meeting the demand of Ansan City's population of 500,000.
Laos
Sustainable Energy Ireland is a Lao-French (30-70 percent) joint-venture. Leader and pioneer in the small hydro development in Laos, NNHPC plans to develop three projects within five years (Nam Nhone, Nam Song 7.5 MW; Nam Long 12 MW). Nam Nhone hydropower project is a small-scale effort located on the Nam Nhone River in Bokeo Province. The 2.4-MW project is expected to generate about 80 percent of the province's needs in 2008.
Mexico
Oceanlinx, a company formerly known as Energetech, has developed wave energy in Mexico.
New Zealand
Crest Energy has undertaken to build a $400 million, 200-MW tidal power plant in the mouth of Kaipara Harbour. It is scheduled for completion in 2011.
Norway
A prototype generator called TAPCHAN was installed on a remote Norwegian island in 1985. A tidal unit featuring a tapered channel, it has been in operation for years.
Enova, a Norwegian foundation, has provided some $5 million to install a wave power plant in the ocean west of Karmoey, Rogaland County.
Hydro Tidal Energy Technology, in collaboration with Statkraft and Marintek is reported to be developing a tidal power plant in Kvalsundet Strait outside Tromsx.
Two types of wave power plants are being tested at Tostestallen. One uses an oscillating water column to drive air through a turbine. The other captures waves spilling over a dam.
Pacific Islands
Hawaii has been the center of pioneering work on OTEC systems. Work began after the energy shortage of the 1970s and has continued through several stages. First there were experimental units aboard ships situated near the Big Island of Hawaii. Then a shore-based plant was built at the new Hawaii Ocean Science and Technology Park adjacent to Keahole Airport near Kona. I visited this project in the 1980s.
A lot was learned from the first operational plant that pumped cold water from 2,700 feet (823 m.) below the surface. This input was used not only for energy recovery but to take advantage of a variety of unexpected scientific opportunities. When I was there, very pure deep-ocean water was being delivered to park occupants engaged in aquaculture, pharmaceutical and related research, providing an R&D opportunity not found elsewhere. The latest project at Kona is a 1-MW OTEC installation.
Another pioneering OTEC project was located at Nauru in the Central Pacific. A 100-kW plant sponsored by Tokyo Electric began operating in 1981. I visited that site soon afterward. Unfortunately a passing typhoon knocked the plant out.
The Government of Palau in 2008 launched a feasibility study for a $250 million OTEC installation to produce power and desalt sea water. A Palau OTEC project had been planned by Saga University of Japan.
A wave energy evaluation program has been conducted by OCEANOR for the South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC). Data collection buoys were located off shore at Rarotonga in the Cook Islands, Kadavu in the Fiji group, Tongatapu in the Kingdom of Tonga, Funafuti in the Tuvalu group, Efate in Vanuatu and Upolu in Western Samoa.
An Australian company has proposed to build a $20 million, 2.7-MW, wave energy generator off the coast of Maui. The project will include three wave platforms and could be operational by the end of 2009.
A 10-MW OTEC plant has been proposed for the Marshall Islands.
The U.S. Army has issued a request for information for a 13-MW OTEC plant for the Kwajalein Atoll.
Blue Energy Canada is building a 30-MW 'tidal fence' off the Philippines.
Portugal
What is claimed to be the world's first commercial wave energy project is now delivering 2.25 MW off the northern Portugal coast near Agugadoura. The pioneering installation involves three of Ocean Power Delivery's Pelamis machines. An array of some two dozen machines is planned. The project is expected to meet the electricity demand of more than 15,000 Portuguese homes.
Finavera is proposing a 100-MW, staged-power project at Figuera da Foz beginning with a 2-MW pilot plant in 2009.
Russia
Russia plans to build a very large tidal power plant at Kislogubsk. A pilot, floating 1.5-MW tidal plant has been launched at Severodvinsk, to be installed near the site in the Barents Sea. When the pilot operation is successful, a 10,000-MW station will be built.
Two new tidal power plants are planned for construction in the White Sea and the Sea of Okhotsk, with capacities of 10 GW and 20-90 MW.
South Africa
Finavera Renewables is planning a 20-MW, staged-power project in South Africa, according to CEO Jason Bak.
Oceanlinx, a company formerly known as Energetech, is developing wave energy in South Africa.
Spain
What is said to be the "first commercial breakwater wave energy plant" is to be built at Mutriku in Northern Spain on the Atlantic coast for the Basque Energy Board, Ente Vasco de Energia. The installation will feature Voith Siemens Hydro Power Generation's wave equipment, acquired in Siemens' purchase of Wavegen earlier this year. The 300-kW project will involve 16 turbines and a new breakwater.
Sweden
The Swedish utility Vattenfall is investing several million dollars in a wave power project planned by Uppsala University scientists. Ten generators are included.
Taiwan
United Kingdom
The European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC), located in Orkney, Scotland, is a world leader in promoting various types of ocean energy. The center recently awarded grants totaling more than $17 million for nine projects that included: AWS Energy ($2.7 million) to install a 500-kW "Archimedes Wave Swing" machine; ScotRenewables ($2.24 million) for a floating tidal stream energy converter; OpenHydro ($1.5 million) for a 250 kW "Open-Center Turbine" installation; CRE Energy Ltd ($5.7 million) for four Ocean Power Delivery Pelamis machines with an output of 3 MW; Ocean Power Technology ($.788 million) for a "PowerBuoy"'; and smaller projects by Aquamarine, CleanTechCom, Wavegen and Tidal Generation.
During 1999-2006, a commercial-scale 300-kW underwater turbine called "Seaflow" was tested off Lynmouth, Devon, by a group including IT Power, Seacore, Kassel University; and Jahnel-Kesterman, a specialist in gearbox manufacturing. This is being followed by a project called "SeaGen," implemented by Marine Current Turbines, Ltd. MCT is installing a 1.2-MW tidal turbine in Northern Ireland. One of the appeals of this system is that the rotors turn at about 15 rpm - much slower than a ship's propeller - and will not damage fish.
Lunar Energy, a British company, in cooperation with E.On, is building a tidal energy farm off St David's peninsula in Pembrokshire, Wales. It will employ eight large turbines on the sea bottom.
In the early 1990s the OSPREY (Ocean Swell Powered Renewable Energy) project was launched off the coast of Scotland. Unfortunately, Hurricane Felix in 1995 caused the big, 1 MW, commercial unit to sink in the Clyde Estuary.
A project known as "LIMPET 500" (Land Installed Marine Powered Energy Transformer), developed by Wavegen, has been located on the island of Islay off Scotland's west coast, and connected to the national grid. It provides enough power for about 500 homes.
"SPERBOYTM," a floating wave energy converter developed by Embley Energy, is being studied for a site at Benbecula in the Outer Hebrides, off the coast of Scotland.
Ocean Power Delivery of Edinburgh is developing their Pelamis wave power systems.
Another Scottish firm, AWS Ocean Energy, has gotten backing from the Shell Technology Venture Fund, an affiliate of Royal Dutch Shell, for its underwater wave energy system known as "Archimedes Wave Swing."
Marine Current Turbines is said to be planning a 10-MW tidal energy farm off Anglesey, UK, to be operational by 2009.
One of the world's most highly publicized tidal power plant proposals is the Severn barrage installation that would be situated in the Mersey estuary. Proponents argue that the project would bring thousands of new jobs to Somerset and South Wales. Opponents say that environmental damage would be intolerable.
United States
One of the most interesting projects today is the plan to locate a farm of underwater turbines in the Gulf Stream off the coast of Florida. The work got an initial grant of $5 million from the state in 2006. The state is expected to contribute another $10 million, and a federal grant of $12 million is in the mill. Florida Atlantic University's Ocean Energy Technology lab in Dania Beach, known as Sea Tech has been pushing the project for several years. Participants now include Florida State University and the University of Central Florida and Florida Power and Light Company.
According to proponents, the installation could generate $4 billion worth of electricity a year, power three million homes and create 35,000 jobs. It would also power a huge seawater desalting plant to relieve water shortages in some Florida areas. Some say the Gulf Stream could produce power equal to six nuclear power stations.
In New York a company called Verdant Power has installed an experimental underwater turbine in the East River near Roosevelt Island. When their design is perfected they plan to install 300 turbines to capture a total of 10 MW of power - enough to serve 8,000 homes. Promoting the project are New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and Consolidated Edison. The concept is reported to have sprung from research at New York University.
Meanwhile, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has issued 58 permits for ocean energy proposals from Anchorage, Alaska, to Key Largo, Fla., and another 30 applications are pending. The FERC has received nearly 20 applications for test permits in Washington and Oregon alone.
Finavera Renewables has received a permit to plan a wave energy project off Northern California's Humboldt County. Power produced by the system would be bought by Pacific Gas & Electric. An initial 2 MW plant could be expanded to 100 MW. Operation is expected to begin in 2012.
AquaEnergy Group Ltd, an Ocean Energy division of Finavera Renewables, has applied for a permit for a Makah Bay Offshore Wave Energy Project. The 1 MW prototype would be located three miles from shore in the Olympic Coast Marine Sanctuary in Northwest Washington. It will use "AquaBuoys" rated at 250 kW. Participants include the Makah Indian Nation, Clallam County Public Utility District and others.
Finavera Renewables has already installed a 75-foot- (23-m.)-high yellow buoy wave-energy converter offshore of the Port of Newport in Oregon.
Oceanlinx filed with FERC for a 15-MW wave farm off Florence, Ore., similar to a successful project in Australia at Port Kembla.
Ocean Power Technologies (OPT) is collaborating with Pacific Northwest Generating Cooperative to develop a 2-MW wave park offshore Douglas County, Ore. The plan is to install OPT's "Powerbuoy" system 2.5 miles (4 km.) offshore in about 164 feet (50 m.) of water. The output will range from 2 MW to 50 MW. OPT is also proposing a facility off Coos Bay's North Spit.
A dozen tidal energy projects are proposed for sites around Puget Sound fromTacoma northward. The most widely discussed project is at Grays Harbor, Wash. It is being promoted by the Washington Wave Co., a subsidiary of Puget Sound Tidal Power.
Permits have been granted to study sites in the Cook Inlet, at Resurrection Bay and in the Wrangell Narrows, all in Alaska. There is even a serious proposal to capture energy from the tidal flow under the Golden Gate Bridge at San Francisco. The city has launched a feasibility study to evaluate a 35-MW project proposal.
New England activity
FERC has approved an application from the town of Edgartown to study a tidal energy project for Muskeget Channel between Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket.
GreenWave, R.I., has proposed a pilot wave energy plant off the coast of Rhode Island. The project is funded by three New England states and is based on research at the University of Rhode Island.
Oceanlinx, formerly known as Energetech, is developing a wave energy project at Rhode Island.
The Atlantic Tidal Energy Consortium has announced plans to build a 600-MWf tidal powerplant in the Bay of Fundy.
Elsewhere there is interest in tests in the Gulf of Mexico, off the Texas coast, for a new wave-powered pump system called "SEADOG." It is being developed by Minnesota-based Independent Natural Resources Inc. The system is designed to generate electricity and desalt seawater.
Author McKinley Conway
Photo: Rebecca Conway
About the Author
McKinley Conway's development history is voluminous and distinguished. Just a few of his milestones include founding Site Selection, the first-ever magazine focused on corporate real estate and economic development, and founding two industry associations that set the standard for the industry's professional development — the International Development Research Council (IDRC) and the Industrial Asset Management Council (IAMC).
And there's much, much more. Conway created the industry's first development-focused Internet site, SiteNet, all the way back in 1983. And he founded Spruce Creek, the pioneering fly-in community near New Smyrna Beach. For even more on Conway's sizeable development-industry legacy, click here.
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