Ocean wave energy breakthrough: InfinityWEC surpasses wind power
The Swedish company Ocean Harvesting has created a system called InfinityWEC, designed to generate energy from ocean waves. According to the company, implementing this system is seven times more cost-effective compared to building offshore wind farms.
Experts are currently intensively searching for new, more ecological and economical sources of energy. Wave energy, despite its potential, is still relatively underutilized. The InfinityWEC system, developed by Ocean Harvesting, demonstrates that this solution can be significantly cheaper than wind energy obtained from floating structures.
How does wave energy production work?
InfinityWEC, which uses buoys to produce electricity, can operate at depths from approximately 80 to 200 metres. In such conditions, offshore wind farms using floating platforms can also be employed. As reported by cision.com, this project is characterized by a very low level of capital expenditures (CAPEX).
Available information indicates that in evaluating new energy technologies, CAPEX plays a significant role, influencing the levelized cost of energy (LCOE). LCOE considers both the initial expenses for constructing the power plant and the subsequent operational costs.
Wave energy vs. wind energy
To assess the efficiency of InfinityWEC, a system with a capacity of 6 MW was constructed, comparing it to the Hywind Scotland floating wind farm with the same output. Both solutions can utilize similar infrastructure for transmitting the generated energy.
According to data presented by Ocean Harvesting, InfinityWEC requires about seven times lower capital expenditures and generates approximately seven times fewer carbon emissions than the Hywind Scotland wind farm.
The advantages of the InfinityWEC system, as listed by the company, include its scalability and high efficiency, which affirm its ability to continuously produce energy from each wave. This technology is characterized by a low LCOE—with energy production reaching approximately 2 GWh, the cost is estimated at 150 CAD/MWh with an installed capacity of 100 MW and less than 50 CAD/MWh with an installed capacity of 5 GW.
