Page 44: of Marine Technology Magazine (May 2019)

Image: SurfWEC

Model basin result for change in wave shape over submerged platform.

Steeper wave allows more ef? cient wave energy conversion.

commercial side we will approach venture capital sources for the 15:1 model as the ocean waves would be for the full-scale funding, too. Then we have DOE applications in for subsys- model.

tem development.” While political (to get the permitting to moor the system for real-world trials) and funding issues are rarely easy to navi-

Think Global, Act (NJ) Local gate, van Hemmen, who went to Harvard Business School, “Certain projects are so big that they need a national or a said that he would be shocked if the organization can’t build global view and presence. This particular technology does not support among the utilities and the politicians. “The numbers require that huge amount of investment,” said van Hemmen. (cost per kWh) are there, and they are convincing.” (See chart “This makes it inherently more ef? cient to build and run a on next page) local project, and if you can do that your chance of success In fact van Hemmen, always the engineer ? rst, sees the big- inherently goes up.” gest challenge of delivering the system to utility scale as quite

According to van Hemmen the stars are seemingly aligned simple: Rope. “If the money exists, the biggest challenge will for this project, as New Jersey offers “this weird hotbed for be the reliability of the rope yanking system. That is the chal- technological innovation. New Jersey has the waterfront, it lenge that my mind will be around day and night,” he said. has the transportation capacity, it has the education … the “I’m convinced that we can get it to work, but this is the one project size is right for it to be developed in New Jersey.” technical challenge that give me the cold sweat of the engi-

One of the key players is Ohmsett in Leonardo, New Jer- neer. Rope technology has advanced tremendously, but that is sey, situated on Raritan Bay. This is a world-class tank testing the point where a lot of energy will go in. Fortunately the rope facility situated directly in an area that could prove ideal for issue is not and end-all as ? apper/surge type devices mounted real-world testing, as van Hemmen reasons that the waves in to the top deck of the variable-depth platform may be com- the protected portions of Raritan bay are right on scale with mercially viable as well.”

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MTR #4 (34-49).indd 44 4/25/2019 9:59:18 AM