Coastal protection

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Coastal protection –
WSE technology applications

Coastal erosion is an increasing problem in many parts of the world, with the intensity of wave action on shorelines being enhanced by climate change.

The traditional way to deal with this issue is to install breakwaters, sea walls, and groynes, in order to reduce the level of wave energy that makes it to shore. This requires a significant capital outlay which is a ‘sunk cost’.

The Wave Swell Energy (WSE) technology provides a cost effective solution to the problem of coastal erosion. WSE units, when deployed in close proximity to each other, act as a breakwater or sea wall. This not only protects the coastline from erosion but also generates an annuity style revenue stream from the electricity generated.

The US Department of Energy website, Tethys, has published reference to a study that concluded “The results highlight that wave farms are able to decrease beach erosion (shoreline retreat) even under sea-level rise scenarios. That makes wave farms attractive management strategies, as they contribute to the decarbonisation of the energy mix and are more efficient in terms of coastal protection under sea-level rise than traditional hard-engineering structures”.

WSE units can be placed next to each other in a line with no gaps, effectively producing a breakwater that can block up to 100% of the wave action from the coast while converting that energy into electricity.