World's First Commercial Wave Farm

posted on May, 23 2005 @ 10:25 AM

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Ocean Power Delivery will deploy sausage-shaped tubes off Portugal to create the world's first commercial wave power plant, providing electricity to 1,500 homes from 2006. The farm will displace more than 6,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions that would otherwise be produced by conventional hydrocarbon-fueled power plants.

Hydro:

ENERGY EMERGING: Pelamis wave energy converters rock with the sea (up, down and side-to-side) pumping high-pressure fluid to hydraulic motors that drive electrical generators which produce power fed down umbilical cables to a single subsea cable to shore, where it is tied into the land-based power grid.

Aftenposten: Hydro announces "wave farm"

A pioneering commercial wave power plant producing clean and renewable energy is to go on line off Portugal in 2006, project partners announced Friday. Norwegian energy company Hydro is a major backer of the project.

The companies claimed the so-called "wave farm" will be the world's first such commercial operation.

The power generators, like giant, orange sausages floating on water, will use wave motion to produce electricity by pumping high-pressure fluids to motors

A variety of systems, including wave and tidal energy, are being tested around the world as possible environmentally friendly and renewable energy sources.

Hydro: World's first commercial wave farm deal

Hydro's investment in Scots start-up Ocean Power Delivery caught a commercial wave this week by signing an order with Portuguese energy company Enersis to build the worlds first commercial wave farm to harvest electricity from sea swells.

Planned for completion in 2006, the farm will initially supply some 1,500 Portuguese households with electricity - and displace more than 6,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions that would otherwise be produced by conventional hydrocarbon-fuelled power plants.

A letter of intent has also been issued to order a further 30 Pelamis machines (for a total 20MW) before the end of 2006, subject to satisfactory performance of the initial project phase. If all goes well, many additional sites producing up to a total several hundred MW could be developed along the coast.

The EU currently calls for 22 percent of electricity consumption to come from renewable sources in 2010. Renewables currently meet about six percent of European energy demand.

A very interesting and promising project. I believe wave energy is the future.

kenshiro2012

posted on May, 23 2005 @ 10:28 AM

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It is a great step in the right direction. As it is now, they are predicting that this can be used to supply upto 15% of the world's power needs. Just think what it can do as they perfect the tech.

Aelita

posted on May, 23 2005 @ 10:30 AM

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The day has come! I was waiting for such a system to be committed for a long long time. Maybe there is hope for clean energy, after all.

optimus fett

posted on May, 23 2005 @ 12:08 PM

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this is fantastic!!.....ive been waiting for years to see this happen commercially!

the only down side is the fact that the portuguese are involved

basically if they ever find time to get out of the pub to install the dammed thing they then run the risk of crashing into it later that weekend drunk at the controls of their speedboats!

sorry...only joking....the portuguese rock!

Hellmutt

posted on Jun, 4 2005 @ 12:36 AM

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Hey, look what happened on the next day. This is great news.

Acquisition of Wavegen

24/05/05

Voith Siemens Hydro has purchased Wavegen in Inverness, Scotland, today.

The company which was founded in 1990 is leading in the construction of wave energy systems and in the research and the development of this technology.

Through the acquisition of Wavegen, Voith Siemens Hydro intends to boost the development of innovative technologies for energy generation from water and assume a leading role in this field.

Voith Siemens Hydro envisages its future strategic orientation, jointly undertaken with Wavegen, in the commercialization of existing technologies for near-shore power stations.

Locations for a number of projects have already been identified.

Click the link to read the full article...

[edit on 2006/4/23 by Hellmutt]

Disaster_Boy

posted on Jun, 5 2005 @ 08:55 PM

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This is great news.

May sound like a stupid question, but how could thios be used on a smaller scale

skychief

posted on Jun, 5 2005 @ 09:23 PM

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This is pretty cool and rather ingenious, I must say. I hope this works well as I could see this being practical in many areas around the world. Anytime we can get away from the use of fossil fuels to create energy is a good thing in my opinion.

TJ11240

posted on Jun, 7 2005 @ 01:47 PM

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I hadn't even realized this technique was possible. I had heard about tidal generators, but never these. I can't wait to see how they do.

RANT

posted on Jun, 18 2005 @ 09:46 PM

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Originally posted by TJ11240
I hadn't even realized this technique was possible. I had heard about tidal generators, but never these. I can't wait to see how they do.

This is amazing. I had no idea. I thought the Myrtle Beach Lazy River was surely the crowning glory of man's achievements in harnessing the power of water.

skychief

posted on Jun, 19 2005 @ 03:45 AM

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Originally posted by RANT

Originally posted by TJ11240
I hadn't even realized this technique was possible. I had heard about tidal generators, but never these. I can't wait to see how they do.

This is amazing. I had no idea. I thought the Myrtle Beach Lazy River was surely the crowning glory of man's achievements in harnessing the power of water.

I once got fried in that exact lazy river. I fell asleep and must have floated for hours. Man, was I hurting the rest of that trip

ArMaP

posted on Jun, 19 2005 @ 06:54 AM

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Portugal has maybe the best conditions for alternative power sources.

The Atlantic ocean can provide waves for these kind of systems, specially in the North of the country, the high percentage of sunny days per year mean that solar energy can also be used, as the fact that the biggest solar power plant is planned to be built in the South.

The winds from the ocean are also a good source of energy, and one that is already being used.

In the region where I live, there are many tidal mills from the 15th century, and one of the oldest, built in 1403, still works, so we could also use the tides as another source of energy, maybe using the same principle as the one used in these new wave powered generators.

The fact that we are near the countries where these new techniques are being created also makes Portugal a good place for these kinds of experiments.

Hellmutt

posted on Jun, 19 2005 @ 02:29 PM

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The farm is on its way. 12 tube segments are going to be built in Scotland.

Scotsman: Wave-farm contract creates 40 jobs

17 Jun 2005

FORTY jobs are being created at a Western Isles manufacturing yard that has secured work for the world's first commercial wave farm.

Camcal has been selected by Ocean Power Delivery to provide 12 main tube segments for the project off Portugal.

The yard, near Stornoway on Lewis, will see its workforce rise from 25 to 65.

Phil Smith, Camcal's managing director, said the deal could prove to be the first of many similar contracts.

This week a controversial report from Western Isles NHS board warned of a potential rise in HIV infections, sexual diseases and unwanted pregnancies in the Hebrides from wind farm construction workers.

Click the link to read the full article...

I'm not sure if I understood what they meant with that last paragraph. Any ideas? Wind vs. Waves?

[edit on 2006/4/23 by Hellmutt]

Amorymeltzer

posted on Jun, 19 2005 @ 05:39 PM

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Out of curiousity, why hasn't this been done earlier?

And, out of even greater curiousity, what are the negative side effects (if any) on the seafaring population?

Hellmutt

posted on Apr, 23 2006 @ 07:22 PM

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Originally posted by Amorymeltzer

what are the negative side effects (if any) on the seafaring population?

I'm sure they will be an obstacle for shipping. Ships would simply have to go around them...

ronishia

posted on May, 21 2006 @ 11:25 AM

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definatly intresting topic i hadnt heard about this definatly learn something new everyday

V Kaminski

posted on May, 21 2006 @ 11:44 AM

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This is good news. Maybe. I find the Siemens buyout a little "funny". I'd heard of wave power before but not this hydraulic generation angle... sweet and innovative.

I wonder if it could be adapted to a premo "rip" source like say the Bay of Fundy without too much displacement of the way of life? Exciting.

I love this stuff, thanx for the data!

Victor K.

d1k

posted on May, 21 2006 @ 08:06 PM

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This is fantastic, what a great idea!

Hopefully there will be more alternative energy ideas like this to come and hopefully before it's too late for our planet, if it's not too late already.

Originally posted by optimus fett
the only down side is the fact that the portuguese are involved

sorry...only joking....the portuguese rock!

One thing is for sure, their women rock.

[edit on 21-5-2006 by d1k]

Hellmutt

posted on Feb, 18 2007 @ 06:14 PM

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2 minute long Pelamis video. Music by Mike Oldfield.

Google Video Link

Hellmutt

posted on Feb, 26 2007 @ 04:30 PM

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They're building more wave farms. A Pelamis wave farm with an output of 3 MW will be ready in 2008.

Scotland Boosts Ocean Power with $25 M Grant

26. februar 2007

More than GBP 13 million [U.S. $25 million] worth of funds were awarded last week by the Scottish Executive -- the devolved government of Scotland -- for marine energy projects in Scottish waters, mostly in Orkney where one of the largest commercial wave power farms in the world is being developed by ScottishPower.

"Today marks a vital milestone in Scotland's drive to be the world leader in the development of marine renewables," said Scotland's Deputy First Minister Nicol Stephen. "Scotland has the potential to generate a quarter of Europe's marine energy and kick-starting the sector is vital if we are to create a significant industry based in Scotland and meet our long-term renewables targets. We have already made huge strides forward in renewable energy. I am delighted to be able to confirm that our first target on renewable generation -- 18 per cent by 2010 -- has now been met, years ahead of schedule."

Due to be operating by 2008, the 160-meter Pelamis machines will have a combined output of 3 megawatts (MW).

Please visit the link provided for the complete story.

x08

posted on Feb, 26 2007 @ 05:49 PM

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how much power would it require to operate a wave-pool (one of those swimming pools that makes waves) that can create waves big enough to operate these things?

If the required power is less than the output... well... I see an opportunity for inland plants also~

World's First Commercial Wave Farm - Pelamis