Watch: Bombora’s virtual tour shows off mWave in making

Wave energy developer Bombora has set up a virtual video tour to showcase its 1.5MW mWave device being built in Wales.

Bombora’s full-scale device is currently being built at its Pembroke Dock assembly centre, shown in the virtual tour by the company’s chief operating officer, Dave Rigg.

The device is being built as part of Bombora’s Pembrokeshire Demonstrator Project, supported by a £13.4 million European Regional Development Grant through Welsh government.

The project aims to place Pembrokeshire at the forefront of the wave energy industry, and at the same time, serves to build new and sustainable industry by engaging the existing supply chain and creating highly skilled employment opportunities.

Bombora’s mWave device features a series of air-inflated rubber membrane covered concave cells mounted to a structure below the ocean’s surface creating an air-filled volume.

As waves pass overhead, air is pushed out of each cell through a series of valves into a one-way air-duct.

The air flow in the duct drives a unidirectional flow turbine which in turns drives a variable-speed generator to produce electricity. The electricity from the generator is transferred to the shore via a subsea cable.

Following a process of power conditioning, the electricity is delivered into the local grid.

The installation of the first full-scale mWave is scheduled for mid-2021, Bombora said earlier.