Development and validation of technical and economic feasibility of a multi MW Wave Dragon off shore wave energy converter

project coordinator
Wave Dragon APS, Denmark.

partners
Kossler Gesellschaft M.B.H., Austria; Balslev Consulting Engineers A/S, Denmark; Aalborg Universitet, Denmark; Niras Rad Givende Ingeniorer Og Planlaeggere A/S, Denmark; Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Germany; Esbi Engineering & Facility Management Limited, Ireland; Dr Techn Olav Olsen AS, Norway; Wave Dragon Wales Ltd, United Kingdom; University of Wales Swansea, United Kingdom.

aim of project
The Wave Dragon is a slack-moored wave energy converter of the overtopping type. It is by far the most powerful wave energy converter and at the same time one of the most energy efficient and economic devices under development today. Since March 2003, a 20 kW scale 1:4.5 prototype of a 7 MW Wave Dragon has been tested as the world’s first floating grid connected wave energy converter. The project will develop the Wave Dragon technology further from the tested all steel built 20 kW prototype to a full size composite built 7 MW unit and by comprehensive testing validate the technical and economic feasibility.

expected results
The project will develop the Wave Dragon technology further from the tested all steel built 20 kW prototype to a full size composite built 4–7 MW unit and by comprehensive testing validate the technical and economic feasibility. The RTD-part of the project will:
- Develop Wave Dragon’s energy absorbing structure, the low head turbine power take off system and the control systems;
- Establish the necessary basis for design codes/recommendations for off shore multi MW devices.
The test program will demonstrate the availability, power production predictability, power production capability and medium to long term target electricity generation costs at € 0.052/kWh in a wave climate of 24 kW/m (€ 0.04/kWh in a wave climate of 36 kW/m), which could be found relatively close to the cost at the major part of the EU Atlantic cost. The actual target of power production at the selected test site (16 kW/m) is expected to be 6.7 GWh (4 MW) and 7.6 GWh (7 MW) and will be followed by monthly reports based on the measured performance (best values found during the period) at diff erent sea states. This actual performance will also be interpolated to 24 and 36 kW/m reference wave climates.