Wave power inspired by nature

A prototype wave power unit that is anticipated to advance the renewable wave energy industry in Australia is finally complete and will be installed off the coast of Port Fairy, Victoria, later this year.

Developed by ocean energy company BioPower Systems, the bioWAVE unit is a 26-metre-high steel structure that sways back and forth, mostly below the surface of the ocean, capturing energy from the waves and converting it into electricity fed into the grid via an undersea cable.

The design was inspired by undersea plants and based on the concept of biomimicry. It is also designed to naturally avoid extreme forces, using lightweight construction, and so during infrequent extreme wave events will automatically assume a ‘safe’ position lying flat against the seabed.

BioPower Systems CEO Dr Timothy Finnigan said achieving practical completion of the bioWAVE device is the most important milestone in the development of the technology.

“It has been very satisfying to see it come together and to witness functional testing of the onboard systems,” Dr Finnigan said.

Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) CEO Ivor Frischknecht congratulated BioPower on the achievement.

“The $21 million project, supported by $11 million ARENA funding, aims to move BioPower’s bioWAVE technology towards commercialisation,” said Frischknecht.

“The site near Port Fairy is in the final stages of preparation for the arrival of the completed unit, with the onshore electrical equipment in place and divers working on subsea power and data cabling.”

If successfully installed, the project will be the second ARENA supported wave energy device supplying energy to a major Australian grid, feeding 250 kW of renewable energy into the National Electricity Market.

Frischknecht said BioPower had been working on the technology since 2006, taking it through an in-depth research and development phase to full-scale demonstration.

“This illustrates how new renewable energy generation ideas require substantial time, effort and cost to shape them into functional, commercial propositions,” Frischknecht said.

“The bioWAVE pilot is on track for installation in November 2015 and is expected to operate for at least 12 months, with testing throughout and an independent performance assessment at the conclusion. This data will inform the design of a larger 1 MW commercial-scale bioWAVE unit, planned as the next phase of development for the technology.”

Image courtesy of BioPower Systems.