Wave Power Generation & Digitization: Ocean Power Technologies

Global energy production has increased exponentially over the last century, and the total energy supply (TES) still remains fully dependent on non-renewable resources: coal, oil, and gas. Since 1971, coal production has increased by 2.2 percent, natural gas production has increased by 2.8 percent, and oil production has increased by 1.2 percent. From 2018 to 2019, coal and natural gas production continued to increase, while oil production decreased by 0.3 percent. Coal remains the dominant energy source used globally, accounting for 40 percent of energy use. Renewable resources have negative effects on the oceans ecosystems and on human health, subsequently. Coal power plants produce many toxic heavy metals, such as selenium, mercury, arsenic, cadmium, thallium. Coal ash deposits from power generation create legacies of toxic waste. When coal is burned, some of these toxins also enter the atmosphere and deposit in waterways and the ocean. In 2014, for instance, exceedingly high levels of mercury were reported in global oceans (60,000 to 80,000 tons of mercury), levels that contribute to neurological and nervous system damage. Not only does this contribute to ocean acidification, this toxicity affects the health of humans as well as other species (i.e. mercury in fish we consume). In addition to polluting our oceans, non-renewable resources like oil, gas and coal contribute to carbon emissions and the warming of the Earth’s atmosphere. About 4.2 million people died prematurely from air pollution in 2016, with a disproportionate amount of those people coming from disadvantaged socioeconomic positions, which makes air pollution a matter of environmental justice, too. On the impact of pollution on human and planetary health, the Lancent remarks, “pollution is a planetary threat, and that its drivers, its dispersion, and its effects on health transcend local boundaries and demand a global response.” In order to achieve net-zero resource production, a massive jump in the use of renewable resources is necessary. Renewable, net-zero, ocean energy is a critical component for a future that promotes clean energy and human well-being. This will require increased research on ocean-based technologies, funding, and policy to encourage net-zero resource production.

Wave Energy

Wave energy has a surprisingly long history. The first patent for wave energy was given to Monsieur Girard in Paris, in 1799. This first attempt inspired the minds of inventors, and from 1855 to 1973 there were 340 attempts at wave energy in the UK alone. Over the years, interest in this topic has continued, albeit on the fringes of conventional energy generation. Significant contributions to the field were made by Yoshio Masuda (1925–2009), a Japanese navy commander and pioneer in wave energy technology, who worked on wave energy staring in 1940. Masuda developed one of the common designs for wave energy, the oscillating water column (OWC), which is a navigation buoy with a turbine. Some critiques of this design is that it is not practical for all coastal environments. In the 1970s during the oil crisis, wave energy had renewed interest, and one new design that derived from that era was the more efficient ‘Salter’s Duck.’ Other more contemporary wave energy devices include the ‘carpet converters‘ – currently being experimented with at UC Berkeley – and the overtopper.’

How wave technology works is relatively simple: as wind moves across the ocean’s surface, it creates waves, and when the waves interact with power generators, the motion produces electricity within the generator. This electricity can then be distributed to off or on-shore recipients. In the case of some modern devices (such as the Power Bouy as outlined below), a battery pack is charged using wave power. This battery pack then can send power to equipment located on the seabed or other on and off-shore recipients.

Various factors to consider in wave energy include the technology used; the location they are placed; and their purpose. Current designs for wave energy include: Oscillating Water Columns; Oscillating Body Converters; and Overtopping Converters. Location factors include: onshore; near shore; or offshore placements. The application of the technology includes: desalination; power generation; environmental protection (science); or a mixture of all three. Challenges include design as wave energy extracts energy from waves of all sizes that move in multiple directions, identifying the type of machine that can most-effectively do this work is a key goal, and why it can take years, if not decades of research to get the models right to work effectively in the marine environment.

The Boom of Wave Energy

The global wave energy market is projected to reach USD 107 million by 2025 from an estimated market size of USD 44 million in 2020 – due to advancements in efficiency of the technology as well as increasing ease of installation. Wave energy is also projected to be useful for desalination operations, which are increasingly being sought after to produce fresh water in water scarce zones. Europe is the largest and the fastest-growing wave energy market, followed by North America and Asia Pacific. Europe is currently leading in wave energy technology, due to the large number of companies working in this sector and the emphasis on R&D for wave energy converters. Currently, main global players in this field include: Eco Wave Power (Israel), Carnegie Clean Energy (Australia), SINN Power (Germany), CorPower (Sweden), Ocean Power Technology (US), and AMOG Consulting (Australia). Ocean Power Technology is the wave energy leader in North America. Globally, wave energy has the potential to provide up to 80,000 terawatt hours. This could power millions of homes, businesses, and operations. In the US, for instance, 50% of the U.S. population lives within 50 miles of the coast. Similarly in a country ocean-bound like Japan, dependent on fossil-fuels for energy, waves could be a huge boon for power generation and achieving sustainability targets.