European Union funds tests for world’s largest wave-energy technology: ‘A stepping stone to larger commercial array scale up and further industrialization’
European Union funds tests for world's largest wave-energy technology: 'A stepping stone to ... further industrialization' The Cool Down
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A Group in Europe Receives Funding for Wave Energy Project
A group in Europe is starting a project that could make big waves in the clean energy industry. According to Interesting Engineering, the European Union has approved over $21 million for the WEDUSEA (Wave Energy Demonstration at Utility Scale to Enable Arrays) project, which will test a 1-megawatt wave energy converter. The project is funded by the EU Horizon Program and Innovate UK.
Introduction
Like wind energy, waves have a virtually endless capacity for clean energy generation, but it’s a fairly new technology that may seem risky in the eyes of investors. The WEDUSEA project hopes to change that.
Project Details
The project was coordinated by the Irish company OceanEnergy and involves 14 organizations throughout academia and industry in the U.K., Ireland, France, Germany, and Spain. It will feature the OE35 floating wave energy converter (WEC), the largest WEC on the planet.
Testing and Demonstration
The OE35 will undergo a two-year test period at the European Marine Energy Centre on the coast of Orkney in northern Scotland. The device will float in the open water with an open lower part under the sea. Wave pressure will push trapped air in the above-water part of the device through a turbine, which will generate energy.
Sustainable Development Goals
The project aims to demonstrate the efficiency, reliability, and scalability of wave energy technology and increase investment in the technology to potentially increase its use on a larger scale.
Statement from OceanEnergy
“This project will demonstrate that wave technology is on a cost reduction trajectory and will thus be a stepping stone to larger commercial array scale up and further industrialization,” OceanEnergy Chief Technical Officer Tony Lewis said in a statement. “We predict that the natural energy of the world’s oceans will one day supply much of the grid.”
Future Plans
The OE35 still needs to be built, and the two-year demonstration phase is scheduled to begin in June 2025, after which the final phase of the project will concentrate on the commercialization and scaling up of the technology.
Benefits of Wave Energy Technology
Like wind and solar, wave energy technology is just another way to produce electricity without dependence on dirty energy that results in carbon pollution, which contributes to the overheating of the planet, leading to more extreme weather events that can threaten lives and the global food supply.
Global Investments in Wave Energy
The EU isn’t the only government body investing in wave energy technology. The U.S. Department of Energy recently announced over $100 million in funding to develop new wave energy technology to figure out new ways to produce clean energy and create jobs in the process.
Conclusion
This is just another example of the work being done worldwide to advance wave energy conversion technology as yet another viable avenue as the world moves toward clean energy options.
SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?
- SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
- SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
- SDG 13: Climate Action
2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?
- SDG 7.2: Increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix
- SDG 9.4: Upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable
- SDG 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning
3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?
- Investment in wave energy technology
- Efficiency, reliability, and scalability of wave energy technology
- Increased use of wave energy on a larger scale
Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy | 7.2: Increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix | – Investment in wave energy technology |
| SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure | 9.4: Upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable | – Efficiency, reliability, and scalability of wave energy technology |
| SDG 13: Climate Action | 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning | – Increased use of wave energy on a larger scale |
Source: thecooldown.com
