Wave and wind energy come together in new prototype
Elaine Brass
16th September 2009
A renewables management and construction company based on the River Tees is to build a prototype of the first wave power system that can be deployed at the site of an existing offshore wind farm, thereby reducing the power infrastructure costs of offshore renewable projects.
The Teesside Alliance Group (TAG) will build the Langlee E2 prototype this year, after signing a co-operation agreement with Norwegian wave energy company, Langlee Wave Power, which has come up with the design. The wave system is expected to be commercially ready by next year.
Both TAG and Langlee claim the one megawatt E2 is unique in that it is the first wave energy system to be designed to be deployed at existing offshore wind farm sites and can share the power transmission infrastructure, such as subsea transmission cables. It can also share other related facilities and maintenance personnel costs, as well as site approval costs.
The system can survive wave conditions specified for offshore sites, and because it operates just beneath the water surface is sheltered from damage during heavy storms, yet remains positioned where wave-energy conversion has its greatest potential, say Langlee and TAG. Simulations have also confirmed the robustness of the Langlee design under a wide range of wave conditions, anchor system forces, stability, and fatigue analysis.
"We are very impressed with the Langlee system and believe this to be the perfect product for the emerging worldwide wave energy market,” commented TAG's managing director, Alex Dawson. "We are very pleased to have been invited to join the team and look forward to working closely with Langlee to achieve its immediate goal of securing a sale of a full scale Langlee E2 for installation in 2010.”
Langlee ceo Julius Espedal added: “We have a win-win agreement with TAG. This is a top-notch UK project management and engineering company that has the capacity to build efficient wave power plants that help meet UK energy needs and 2020 climate goals. Five ROCs (Renewable Obligation Certificates) per megawatt hour enhances the attractiveness of building wave power generation facilities off the coast of Scotland and other UK locations. Partnering with TAG’s Energy Solutions business makes Langlee’s unique technology readily available for turnkey project deliveries in the UK.”