Video: CorPower gearing up for Orkney’s waves

Swedish wave energy developer CorPower Ocean has released a video update on HiWave & HiDrive projects as it prepares to move its Stage 3 wave energy device from Stockholm to Orkney.

CorPower Ocean is currently performing a structured verification of its large-scale wave energy converter by dry testing it in a rig in Stockholm, which will be followed by ocean deployment at the European Marine Energy Centre’s (EMEC’s) Scapa Flow test site in Orkney later this year.

The company follows a structured five-stage verification process established as best practices for ocean energy technology by ETIP Ocean and Wave Energy Scotland.

It involves step-wise validation of survivability, performance, reliability and economics starting with small scale prototypes in Stage 1, continued by sub-system testing and then fully integrated WECs in increasing scales up to array demonstration in Stage 5.

The current Stage 3 program follows the prior testing of multiple prototypes in smaller scales performed in Portugal, France and Sweden since 2013, CorPower said.

Stage 3 demonstration is supported by best practice from EMEC in Orkney, alongside the experience from offshore power generation company Iberdrola Engineering and EDP, the University of Edinburgh and WavEC Offshore Renewables’ expertise in cost and performance modelling.

The Swedish Energy Agency, Wave Energy Scotland and InnoEnergy have invested €6.5 million in the Stage 3 program, with another €4 million contributed by the European Commission’s H2020 WaveBoost project.

The design principle of CorPower’s device 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, according to CorPower.

Harvesting nature’s vast resource of energy contained in ocean waves sustainably and effectively could produce 2000-4000 TWh per year or 10-20% of worldwide electricity consumption, CorPower said.

To remind, CorPower Ocean recently established a Scottish office to support device deployment and other activities in the area.