Hybrid energy raft provides electricity to 1,000 homes per day

The raft, called HEC, harnesses wave, wind and solar energy, providing stable electricity production with a total capacity of about 1 MW.

Swedish renewable energy company NoviOcean has developed a hybrid energy converter (HEC) that harnesses wave, wind, and solar energy at the same time, reducing the cost of producing clean electricity, Interesting Engineering reported on October 1. In addition, HEC also generates significantly more electricity than a traditional wind farm on the same area of ​​ocean.

Hybrid energy raft floating on the sea. (Photo: NoviOcean).

With its modular design and proven components, HEC can be easily manufactured, installed and maintained with minimal environmental impact, NoviOcean said. "Our machine maximizes renewable energy by combining wave, wind and solar energy in a single solution, ensuring electricity production even when there is no sun or wind. Each machine can power more than 1,000 households per day," said Jan Skjoldhammer, founder and CEO of NoviOcean .

The HEC converter resembles a 38m long rectangular raft. It lies along the wave direction, with a water-filled cylinder underneath that is connected to the seabed via a piston rod and cables. Anchors help keep the raft in place.

The machine works like a garden pump. As the raft rises, water is pumped up and flows at high speed to the Pelton turbine, generating electricity. The wave power capacity of the raft is 650 kW. In addition, the raft has 6 vertical axis wind turbines generating 300 kW of electricity, combined with solar panels producing 50 - 80 kW of electricity, for a total capacity of about 1 MW.

NoviOcean's wave power technology has been developed over many years and tested in wave tanks and real-world environments. A smaller version of the HEC has already powered homes on the Swedish island of Svanholmen, proving that the technology works at sea.

One square kilometer of sea can accommodate 15 rafts, generating 15 MW of electricity. With the same area, a traditional wind farm only has a capacity of about 10 MW. When combining these two solutions, they produce up to 25 MW of capacity, while sharing the costs of sea area and transmission cables.

According to NoviOcean, HECs offer stable energy because waves can generate electricity days after the wind dies down. Additionally, the rafts can be placed close to shore without disrupting the landscape.

NoviOcean's next step is to launch large-scale pilot projects, working with offshore wind companies to build hybrid farms. Since wave activity in Swedish waters is not strong enough, potential locations include the coasts of North and South America.