The initial stage of the project will consist of three “Pelamis” P-750 machines that will be moored near Povoa de Varzim, 5km off the northern Portuguese coast. The 120m-long, 750-ton “Pelamis” structures are made of cylindrical sections with hinged joints, the joints using wave energy to power hydraulic motors that drive electrical generators to provide electricity. The electricity is fed down a single umbilical cable to the seabed where it can be junctioned with others and linked to a shore-based receiving station.
“This is a significant milestone for our company and for wave energy,” said OPD managing director Richard Yemm.
“We see this order as just the first step in developing the Portuguese market, which has the potential to be worth up to €1 billion over the next 10 years.”
The €8 million ($A13.3 million) project is expected to provide energy for over 1500 Portuguese households with its 2.25MW capacity, and provide a saving of over 6000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year over a comparable traditional power plant.
A letter of intent has been issued for the order another 30 Pelamis machines, providing over 20MW of power, by the end of 2006 if the initial phase proves successful.
