VATIS UPDATE Article

Conventional hydropower product and service provider Wartsila, Finland, has announced that it will support the development of the latest WaveRoller marine hydrokinetic (MHK) wave energy convertor prototype with a series of sub-assemblies. Wartsila-supplied components will include metallic bearing housings, composite bearings, lip seals and hydraulic couplings. Wartsila will also provide the necessary installation services for the sub-assemblies.

AW-Energy, Finland, has developed the patented WaveRoller technology and has been operating three 100-kW test units off the coast near Peniche, Portugal, since 2012. In July 2016, the European Investment Bank announced it would invest up to €10 million (US$11.2 million) in AW-Energy to develop a 350-kW WaveRoller unit. As MHK development continues throughout the world, established conventional hydropower product and service providers have opportunity to use or adapt for use their existing technology.

According to AW-Energy, WaveRollers use an oscillating plate bolted to the sea floor. The fiberglass/steel plate moves back and forth as waves roll in. Hydraulic piston pumps transfer fluid inside a closed circuit into a hydraulic motor that drives an electricity generator, creating an energy output between 500 and 1,000 kW per panel, depending on the intensity of the waves. The energy output is then transmitted via cable to an onshore power grid connection.