Onshore wave energy production, as part of the sustainable energy sector, could soon become a significant contributor to global renewable energy production. It might not be a clear-cut solution on its own, but it can complement wind and solar power in coastal areas. Crucially, it’s easier to maintain and connect to the grid than offshore energy facilities, and because waves are consistent, it’s reliable, day and night.
In significant news for the sector, Eco Wave Power received a nod the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to build its wave energy production plant at the Port of Los Angeles, California. The company already operated its energy array on Gibraltar, but now will relocate it to the new location, thus making it the first such plant in the U.S. Eco Wave Power uses patented, smart, and cost-efficient technology that turns the kinetic and potential energy of sea waves into sustainable electricity.
The Los Angeles plant will consist of eight floaters with built-in hydraulic pistons, which move the fluid to an accumulator. The fluid is then used to power a generator that creates electricity. Eco Wave Power will also install two shipping containers, housing the energy conversion technology.
“Moving the station from Gibraltar to Los Angeles in just a few months shows yet another strength of our technology: we are one of the only portable renewable energy technologies that can be easily transported, from country to country, to fit the energy needs of any country,” said EWP’s founder and CEO, Inna Braverman, in December, 2022. “This is just the start in the United States.”
According to the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory, wave energy has a significant uptake in the U.S. According to the laboratory’s estimates, wave energy could potentially produce 1,400 terawatt hours per year, enough to power 130 million homes. To put it into perspective, there have been approximately 145 million homes in the U.S. in 2023.
Recently, Eco Wave Power received a $3M direct offering from Maxim Group, which the company plans to redirect to its flagship projects, including its first commercial-scale wave energy installation in Portugal.
