Governmental decision to back commercial wave power
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Today the Swedish Energy Agency decided to contribute SEK 139 million to a full-scale wave power array outside of Smögen, off the west coast of Sweden. This means that a full-scale demonstration facility can become a reality as soon as all permits have been acquired. The technology is based on research at Uppsala University.
The governmental support for the Seabased Industry AB company and the energy company Fortum is intended to be used to further develop wave power technology in a full-scale demonstration project and to verify it commercially. The facility will link together 400-500 units and will yield 10MW of power. It will thereby be the largest of its kind in the world.
The Swedish Energy Agency has been commissioned by the government to support and stimulate the development of commercially viable renewable energy production by providing investment funding. The Agency has previously decided to back four projects. Today’s decision about the wave power array is the fifth and final decision in this program. In order to be built, the facility will need permission from the environmental court and EU approval of the support.
“This support shows the tremendous potential of the University’s innovative research,” says Vice Chancellor Anders Hallberg.
“It’s gratifying to see that our research has led to a technology that is now getting a chance prove its commercial viability. We also see the potential for further refinement of the technology, so our research will continue, and we are also looking at social scientific aspects of the technology,” says Professor Mats Leijon at the Uppsala University Center for Renewable Electric Energy Conversion and one of the two scientists who established the original innovation and patent company Seabased in 2001.
Together with the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Uppsala University recently received funding from the government’s strategic research initiative for energy research. Together with other major funding for energy research during the year, this entails a major commitment to the already robust field of energy research.
About StandUp, Uppsala University’s strategic commitment to energy research.
About Seabased.
Read more at the Swedish Energy Agency Website.
Anneli Waara