Ocean waves contain vast amounts of energy. Yet despite decades of research, wave power has not yet achieved large-scale deployment. The technology must not only function – it also needs to be robust, cost-efficient, and scalable to larger installations. This is the starting point for the research project INFINITY, where companies, universities, and research institutes collaborate to develop the next generation of wave energy.
Producing electricity from waves is essentially about capturing the motion of the sea and converting it into power. In practice, however, the challenge is more complex. The marine environment is demanding, and equipment is exposed to large and varying forces. At the same time, the technology must operate reliably over long periods and remain economically viable.
– The main challenge is to optimise the balance between revenue from electricity production and the cost of wear and maintenance, says Ola Widlund, project manager for INFINITY and Head of Unit at RISE.
Within the project, control systems and algorithms are being developed to regulate how wave energy systems move in response to waves. More precise models can improve how effectively the energy in the waves is captured. At the same time, however, this increases the load on mechanical components.
If the system is pushed too hard, maintenance can become expensive. Designing stronger components, on the other hand, may make the system heavier and more costly. Much of the research therefore focuses on finding the right balance between energy efficiency, durability, and cost.
More Than a Technical Solution
Many technical solutions for wave power have been proposed over the years. But for the technology to become commercially viable, a broader perspective is required. A wave energy installation is not only about generating electricity. It also involves materials, manufacturing, transport, installation and offshore maintenance – and eventually decommissioning and recycling. If the technology is to be deployed in parks with many units, all these elements must work together.
– Circularity, sustainability, and scalability are not something you add at the end, they must run like a common thread throughout the entire development process, says Ola Widlund.
In INFINITY, the project therefore works according to the principle of “circularity by design,” where questions related to material use, recycling, and environmental impact are integrated from the earliest stages of development.
A Consortium with Diverse Expertise
To address both technical and system-related challenges, INFINITY is organised as a consortium in which several actors contribute their specialist expertise. Research in areas such as modelling, control systems, and environmental analysis is combined with technology development and testing. RISE leads the project and coordinates the work between its different components. When the project’s various research tracks come together, clear added value emerges.
– That’s when you get the feeling that the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts, says Ola Widlund.
Towards Large-Scale Wave Energy
The ambition of the project is not only to improve individual technical solutions, but also to demonstrate how wave power can function within larger energy systems. This includes exploring how the technology can be scaled up, how materials and logistics can be managed, and how wave energy can be co-located with other energy sources such as offshore wind power.
If these challenges can be addressed, wave power could become a complement to other renewable energy sources in the future energy system.