Illustration courtesy BioPower Systems
BioPower Systems of Sydney, Australia, is working toward a $14 million pilot demonstration of its trademarked BioWAVE system off the coast of Port Fairy in the southeastern state of Victoria. Late last year, BioPower received a $5 million ($5.2 million U.S.) award from the Victoria government to help bring the project to fruition.
At 250 kilowatts, the planned pilot would have about a fifth of the capacity of a common commercial wind turbine. But it will be connected to the electric grid, and systems of this size in the past have been large enough to power neighborhoods or large institutional buildings, such as schools. It all depends on how much efficiency the system achieves. The company has spent five years performing multiple tests in tanks at increasing scale before ocean deployment.
BioWAVE's floats are designed to pick up the energy from the ocean's waves, while a flexible "stem" would allow the floats to pivot to catch the most energy. But the inspiration gained from seaweed must be tempered by practicality. Unlike kelp, BioWAVE is designed so its floats would flood with water during big storm surges. The floats would then sink to the seabed to await calmer seas. That's important because ocean-wave devices do not work if the waves are too rough. The costs of the system are reduced because BioWAVE does not require an ironclad grip on the ocean floor.
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