Seawave Slot-Cone generator (SSG)

WAVEenergy AS was established in April 2004 to develop the Seawave Slot-Cone generator (SSG) wave energy converter concept.

The SSG concept is based on the wave overtopping principle utilizing multiple reservoirs placed on top of each other. The potential energy of the incoming wave will be stored in the reservoirs before running through turbines and generating electricity. The patented multi-reservoir concept ensures that the all the different height of waves are utilized for energy production, resulting in a high degree of efficiency.

The SSG is built as a robust concrete structure, where the turbine shaft and the gates controlling the water flow are the only moving parts of the mechanical structure.

To further optimize the efficiency of the SSG converter Wave Energy is also developing a patented multi-stage water turbine (MST). The special design turbine will enable utilization of different heights of water with only one turbine wheel. This will minimize the number of start/stop sequence on the generators resulting in a smoother energy supply to the grid and an increased overall efficiency.

WAVEenergy AS is building a full-scale test plant on the west coast of Norway. The test plant will consist of one 10m wide module of the SSG. The test plant will have an installed capacity of 200kW and will supply electricity to the grid from June 2008. The test plant is mainly built to test and prove the technology but will supply 200 000kWh annually to the grid.

Wave energy will in a future commercial plant integrate the SSG in a breakwater structure. This will lower the construction cost and reduce the visual impact on the environment. Testing and calculations show that a 500m long full scale SSG construction along a cost line with a 25kW/m wave climate will be able to produce 22 GWh/year