Harnessing the power of the ocean – products for clean energy project
For decades, scientists have been struggling to harness the power of the ocean in a commercially viable way. Exploiting wave energy correctly can generate electricity, to run a desalination process, pump water, or power homes, among a host of other tasks. It is considered to be the most concentrated and least variable form of renewable energy.
Oceans cover about 70 percent of the Earth’s surface and if fully exploited, about 40 percent of the world’s power demand could be supplied by this resource. Equivalent to 800 nuclear power plants!
In November 2015, the Anglo-Italian start-up company 40South Energy installed its first H24 energy converter machine in front of Marina di Pisa beach in Italy at a depth of six meters. This unique wave energy conversion machine is designed to be placed below the sea’s surface and is dimensioned to supply energy to 40 homes.
Sandvik has provided 1,400 kilograms of hollow bar, pipes and fittings to this clean energy project. The materials were chosen because of their excellent corrosion resistance, high mechanical strength and good weldability, among other properties.
Facts about wave energy
The World Energy Council has estimated that approximately 2 terawatts, about twice the current world electricity production, could be produced from the oceans via wave power. Since wave energy contains roughly 1,000 times the kinetic energy of wind, it allows for much smaller and less conspicuous devices to produce the same amount of power.