The C3 point absorber was installed at EMEC’s Scapa Flow scale test site in collaboration with local marine contractor Green Marine (UK) Ltd. The device was towed to site and the surface operated install sequence was successfully performed from the Green Isle multicat vessel. The C3 WEC was connected to a floating microgrid unit provided by EMEC.
The design principle of the C3 is inspired by the pumping principles of the human heart and offers five times more energy per ton of device compared to previously known technology. This allows a large amount of energy to be harvested using a small low-cost device. The comapny states the system has excellent survivability in storms, thanks to being inherently transparent to incoming wave energy. The step-change increase in structural efficiency is enabled by a novel system design and advanced control technology – providing a path for wave energy to overtake modern wind turbines in structural efficiency and long term competitiveness.
The microgrid has been designed to allow the C3 device to behave as if it were grid connected by providing a stable voltage and frequency reference, simulating the impedance of a typical grid connection, absorbing power from the device under test and providing power to auxiliary systems.
CorPower’s product development follows the structured five-stage verification process of Wave Energy Scotland (WES) and ETIP Ocean involving step-wise validation of survivability, performance, reliability and economics. The Stage 3 demonstration is funded by WES, the Swedish Energy Agency and InnoEnergy, with the testing at EMEC also supported by Interreg NWE FORESEA project.
The Stage 3 programme demonstration is supported by best practice from EMEC in Orkney, alongside experience from offshore power generation company Iberdrola Engineering and EDP, the University of Edinburgh and WavEC Offshore Renewables’ expertise in cost and performance modelling.
“We are very pleased to have the C3 WEC installed at EMEC, marking a major milestone in our effort of providing reliable and competitive electricity generation from ocean waves” said Patrik Möller, CEO at CorPower Ocean.”
Neil Kermode, Managing Director at EMEC, added that installing technologies into the harsh marine environment is not easy, requiring a great deal of planning, ingenuity, and collaboration but that the learning that will come from operating the technology in the sea will be invaluable to CorPower. To this end, the EMEC team will work with CorPower to support the performance assessment of their technology and is looking forward to seeing the innovative device succeed.
Image: CorPower wave energy converter with vessel Green Isle 2 (Photo: Colin Keldie/CorPower)
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