PORTUGAL

Pico Plant
On the Island of Pico, Azores, WavEC runs an OWC (Oscillating Water Column); wave energy plant (www.pico-owc.net). Pico OWC is a unique structure, allowing testing commercially-sized turbines and auxiliary equipments (up to ~700 kW). 

Pico plant continues to be used as land based real scale infrastructure for testing, research, training and dissemination. The plant has been permanently improved by WavEC with its own, minimal means. Regular presence and maintenance trips enabled to gradually improve the plant’s performance and electricity production, and to demonstrate its operation to the professional community and the general public. It is included in the European Commission large scale infrastructure project MaRINET (http://www.fp7-marinet.eu/).

WaveRoller
The 100 kW grid connected WaveRoller demonstration device was in operation in Peniche, in theautumn of 2014. The aim of this campaign was to collect load data to validate the design load cases. This work was a continuation of previous campaigns from which performance data has been validated by DNV GL. The device was operating in fully exposed ocean environment with waves recorded in excess of 8 meters high. After the autumn campaign, the demonstration unit was brought to the harbour and has been thoroughly inspected by experts from Lloyd’s Register, with the aim to get a certification for the WaveRoller technology in the near future.

This project in Peniche has been carried out within the within the EC 7th Framework Programme Project SURGE and has had many successful campaigns since 2012. AW-Energy Oy is building a full land scale test facility in Finland for testing commercial Power Take-Off (PTO) units. The Jarvenpaa facility creates operating conditions where PTOs are ran in a marine-like environment. Multiple improvements are expected on the second generation of PTOs currently under construction.