The world’s largest-ever wave power plant is set to be built by Israel’s Eco Wave Power (EWP) on Turkey’s Black Sea coast following inking of deal with Oren Ordu Enerji.
The phased, 77MW plant, based on a fixed, modular array of steel floats hinged to piston-equipped arms that pump a working fluid via a subsea umbilical pieline to an onshore generator in time with the rise and fall of incoming waves, would be built starting with a 4MW pilot in the port of Ordu.
No date for the start of construction of the $150m project, which will look at nine breakwater locations, was announced at the time of signing of the agreement.
“With the goal to build a self-sufficient grid [in the region], Ordu sees EWP as an important asset to fully realising our potential for 100% clean energy,” said Mustafa Kemal Macit, CEO of Ordu Enerji.
“The entire municipality of Ordu is excited to fully realise the sea’s potential and use its unlimited source of energy to power our electrical grid. This project demonstrates that Ordu Enerji is committed to investing in innovative clean energy technologies.”
EWP CEO Inna Braverman said: “This landmark agreement… will allow us to provide clean electricity from Turkish waves, for the very first time. With ambitious sustainability goals and regional proximity to our headquarters, Turkey is an interesting location to further implement and develop our innovative wave energy technology.”
The two companies in a statement said the deal “reflected a renewed effort to bridge Turkish and Israeli relations, epitomised by a recent call between Israeli Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who agreed to establish ‘a new era of relations’ between the two countries, discussing ways to significant strengthen economic and diplomatic ties”.
“This is an important partnership that we hope further strengthens Türkiye and Israel’s ties,” said Ayşe Mehlika Yıldız Ersen, Third Secretary of the Turkish Embassy in Tel Aviv.
EWP – which is currently building a grid-connected project in Israel with investment from the country’s energy ministry and is to soon start installation of a pilot in the Port of Los Angeles – has a total project pipeline of over 400MW.
Eco Wave Power received funding from the European Union Regional Development Fund, Innovate UK and the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 framework program.
Wave power is enjoying a recent upsurge in industrial interest after a slump in the emerging market in 2014 that led to early pioneering players including Pelamis and Aquamarine Power going into receivership.
Estimates of the size and speed of the potential wave and tidal energy roll-out around the world range widely. Ocean Energy Europe, the industry’s representative body in Europe, has said 100GW of installed capacity could be installed off EU by 2050, meeting 10% of member states’ power demand.
Source : Recharge News
