Optimising the Penguin wave energy converter using our offshore wave basin

Finnish renewable energy technology developer Wello Ltd. used our offshore wave basin in Hørsholm, Denmark to successfully complete a series of tests for their Penguin wave energy converter (WEC).

The Penguin WEC captures kinetic energy from waves and converts it into electrical power. Since 2011, a Penguin unit has been undergoing sea trials at the European Marine Energy Centre (Orkney, United Kingdom). A scale model of a later version of the Penguin concept was launched and tested in our offshore wave basin. Wello’s engineers and scientists, in close collaboration with our staff, monitored the Penguin’s performance under a range of wave conditions and different operational control procedures.

Due to our ability to quickly implement modifications and test the adjustments, both WEC developers and the oil & gas industry have used our facilities for over 20 years. In addition, our clients also have the opportunity to actively participate in the experiments. As such, they gain the most information from tests – even from a fairly short testing series.

Wello Ltd.’s Penguin WEC deployed in Orkney, United Kingdom.
A more recent version of the Penguin was tested at our facilities in 2014. © Wello Ltd.