Case Study: Wello Wave Energy Installation in Basque Country
Project Summary
AqualisBraemar LOC (ABL), were appointed by Saipem to provide Marine Warranty Survey (‘MWS’) services for the towing and installation of a wave energy converter (WEC) Penguin in the BiMEP site off the coast at Armintza in the Bay of Biscay.
Saipem was the installation contractor and partner of the initiative.
About WEC Penguin
Wello OY is the producer of WEC Penguin technology, an innovative technology that enables a floating hull to transform the motion of ocean waves into energy through a rotator directly connected to a generator.
- The asymmetrical shape of the device creates a gyrating motion which pushes the rotating mass inside the device after each passing wave
- The converter turns the rotation directly into electrical power that is transferred to the grid by a subsea cable
- The Penguin is 44m long and has a nominal power of 600kW
Scope of Work
ABL’s scope of work involved MWS approval of the following marine operations:
- Towage of the Penguin from Orkney Islands to the BiMEP site in the Bay of Biscay
- Installation in the BiMEP site using a 6 leg mooring system in 70m water depth
- Electrical hook-up
The installation has been completed in August 2021 and the wave energy converter has started to generate electricity to the local Basque grid.
“We are very proud of being part of this innovative project to develop a new prototype of wave energy technology and we are interested to support further the growing market of wave energy in the renewable sector”
Sergio Leone, MWS Project Manager and Business Development Manager