In a joint effort with Eni S.p.a. and Politecnico di Torino, Wave for Energy has successfully deployed a new ISWEC prototype in the Adriatic Sea. In brief, ENI S.p.a. R&D Department, the MORE (Marine Offshore Renewable Energy) Lab at Politecnico di Torino and Wave for Energy joined forces into an integrated team. And the team deployed the new ISWEC prototype in front of the coast of Ravenna. Soon the ISWEC will convert the energy from waves into electricity. Whereas “in the future [it] will enable Eni to convert mature offshore platforms into renewable energy generation hubs” as reported by ENI in a press release dated March 27th 2019.
The Prototype Main Characteristics
The ISWEC Ravenna represents in scale how a full scale device would perform in the North Sea environment. Consequently, it is 5m wide and 10m long and less than 4m high. Moreover, it emerges from the sea level for almost 80cm and it can reach peak power output of over 51 kW. In addition, the team developed the pilot site at the Ravenna offshore area under the coordination of Eni’s Central Northern District. Moreover, the new ISWEC prototype deployment will also test the first micro-hybrid smart grid of this kind. The smart grid integrates photovoltaic panels and energy storage onboard of an offshore asset of ENI. The electricity produced by the device reaches the platform via a submarine cable laid on the seabed.
Our Chief Executive Officer, Andrea Gulisano has declared: “The entire team of Wave for Energy has been working unrelentlessly with ENI, our supply partner Remacut and with the collaboration of Politecnico di Torino MORE Lab to reach the results achieved in the deployment and start-up of the ISWEC Adriatico pilot plant. From the kick-off phases in December 2017, the team has continuously collaborated with ENI R&D Department. Together we developed new key solutions towards the optimal installation of the prototype. We are confident that this project signs the beginning of a fundamental collaboration for the future of our company. Such a project will accelerate the next steps for the industrialization of the ISWEC technology. Our team will work relentlessly to complete the journey started from the MORE lab almost 9 years ago”.
