This week a new test started on our maritime test platform Blue Accelerator. The Danish company Exowave has deployed a prototype wave energy converter to the seabed to test the device in realistic sea conditions.
Exowave is headquartered in Esbjerg, Denmark. They develop technology to extract energy from the ocean waves and convert it to hydraulic power to produce electricity and fresh water.
The test will take place on the seabed and will cover roughly 25 m². The wave energy converter weighs about 19 tons and has a height of 7.2 meters, which is also the lowest possible water level on site. Only at low tide is the top of a cone-shaped flap above the converter visible.
The test set-up is connected to the Blue Accelerator with a data cable and hydraulic tube for the pressurized seawater. The experiment tests the conversion of
wave energy to hydraulic energy in relation to measured environmental variables such as wave height and the tide current.
The generated data will be continuously collected and processed on board the Blue Accelerator and sent to land via data connection. This test is in line with the wave energy conversion tests carried out previously by the German company NEMOS.
After the test period, the wave energy converter will be decommissioned and taken back to port. For more information see www.exowave.com.