Improved technology – Risk mitigation

The Wave Swell Energy (WSE) technology differs from others in three distinct ways:

• Most previous wave energy technologies have been developed for deep water applications, requiring floating units. Floating objects are inherently less efficient at absorbing the energy in waves. And, in almost all cases, these technologies have been reliant on moving parts in the water, which has introduced unwanted complexity and challenges. Having moving parts in the water results in prohibitively high maintenance costs, particularly when the technology is located in deep water. The WSE technology involves no moving parts in the water. The only moving parts – the turbine and the simple flap valves – are located well above the water line. In addition, the technology involves no oils, lubricants or contaminants.
• More closely related to the WSE technology, though, is the class of technologies known as oscillating water columns (OWCs). All previous OWC technologies have been bidirectional, requiring air turbines that operate on reversing flow. This necessitates either an inefficient turbine, a more complex turbine with pitching blades, or a complicated system requiring the redirection of flow on each cycle. The WSE technology, however, is fundamentally different in that it utilises unidirectional flow allowing for a simpler, more robust, more efficient and cheaper air turbine.
• The majority of wave energy technologies are deployed for one application, and one application only, which is typically tethered to the ocean floor in deep water offshore. Such technologies are often complex and not commercially viable. Whereas WSE is currently advancing various distinct project opportunities, each deploying the same core technology in a different configuration. It’s important to note that WSE’s technology’s versatility fundamentally changes the risk profile for investors. WSE is not dependent on a single deployment model, a single geography, or a single market to succeed.