Chilean researchers’ wave energy converter put to test at FloWave facility

July 4, 2025, by Zerina Maksumić

According to representatives from the Chilean research team, scale model testing of the Lafquenewen wave energy converter (WEC) has been completed at the FloWave Ocean Energy Research Facility at the University of Edinburgh, marking a notable step toward marine energy deployment off the coast of Lebu.

Source: Danilo I. Pastrana Mendoza (LinkedIn post)

The research stay, conducted in collaboration with the Austral University of Chile (UACH), the University of Edinburgh, and RWTH Aachen University, focused on strengthening international ties for the development of marine energy in Chile.

“This experience gave us the opportunity to work in a world-class facility and engage with experts in marine energy technologies. One of the key milestones was conducting experiments in the circular wave tank at FloWave, where we tested a scale model of the Lafquenewen Wave Energy Converter, developed by the GROW-E research group at the Universidad del Bío Bío. These tests provided valuable insights for the upcoming deployment of the device on the coast of Lebu, Chile,” said Danilo Pastrana Mendoza from the University of Bío-Bío (UBB).

The researchers acknowledged support from Thomas Davey for facilitating access to the facility, as well as from Shaun Fraser and Martyn Lennon for technical assistance throughout the testing campaign.

“A special thanks as well to Fabian Gonzalo Pierart Vasquez for trusting us and including us in this remarkable project, which highlights the importance of international cooperation and technological development in advancing clean energy solutions for Chile,” added Mendoza.

The work is said to originate from the GROW-E team (Group of Renewable Ocean and Wave Energy) at UBB’s Mechanical Engineering Department, focusing on control systems, mechanical systems, and manufacturing methods for WECs.

In February, Chilean researchers completed hydrodynamic tests on a WEC as part of an academic collaboration between the UBB, the UACH, the University of Edinburgh, and RWTH Aachen University.