Porto, Portugal, is set to embark on an energy project that will produce a megawatt of power using only the waves of the ocean. That's enough to electrify 1,000 homes, which will make the facility the largest of its kind, reported Interesting Engineering.
The project is in partnership with Eco Wave Power, an Israeli company at the forefront of wave energy technology. Initial construction will begin in the next two years, with hopes to expand to four locations and reach a 20-megawatt capacity, according to IE.
"We believe that this will be the first wave energy project in the world to show significant energy production from the power of the waves," said Inna Braverman, founder and CEO of the company, in a press release.
The company has implemented similar technology along coasts around the world, including Gibraltar, Turkey, and Los Angeles. It receives support from the European Union and has won the Global Climate Action Award from the United Nations as well as achieved public trading status with a listing on the NASDAQ stock exchange (WAVE), according to IE.
"I truly believe that this revolutionary project will position Eco Wave Power as a leading wave energy developer and serve as a significant milestone toward the commercialization of our wave energy technology globally," said Braverman.
While ocean-based energy projects have historically lagged behind other clean energy sources like wind and solar, they've gained momentum over the last decade thanks to innovations that harness the perpetual waves above and beneath the sea as well as the power of the tides.
If nations and investors continue to support the growth of these technologies, Earth's oceans could fulfill their potential as a major global energy source. Cities could get power for less money while also helping people rely less on dirty energy like coal and oil.
For the Portugal station, Eco Wave Power plans to use its floating hardware that rises and falls with the waves, driving hydraulic pistons and powering an electric generator on shore. The system runs continuously but is able to be raised during bad weather, as IE described.
The construction plans, which also include a museum beneath the breakwater, were announced in 2020 but only got approved this March, reported IE. Portugal is a good home for the technology, as the country aims to transition 85 percent of its electricity to clean energy sources by 2030 in one of the most ambitious goals within Europe.
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