The Waveline Magnet is a floating wave energy device that has been in development by Sea Wave Energy Ltd ( SWEL ) for more than ten years. After many generations of onshore and offshore prototype testing, the company asserts that it delivers “ultra-low-cost” output.

Globally, solar electricity generation is expanding and is emerging as a significant pillar of the decarbonization age.  Moon energy  is taking significantly longer, with more  hurdles  to overcome; tidal and wave energy, on the other hand, are tantalizingly evident. Anyone who has gone into the surf during high wave conditions has witnessed the ocean’s vast power just waiting to be harnessed. However, we have yet to see widespread adoption of tidal or wave energy converters, and that’s likely because it is an extraordinarily harsh environment.

Over the years, we’ve seen tidal energy ideas, concepts, projects, and many initiatives to harvest wave power for land-based use. Several prototypes and small-scale commercial systems are operating or are under development. The industry is still confident that it will contribute significantly to clean energy in the coming years.

SWEL, based in the UK and Cyprus, has been constructing, prototyping, and testing its Waveline Magnet devices for quite some time. The simplest way to describe them is long, modular chains of plastic floats arranged in a straight line on the water and aimed directly at the waves.

Unlike concrete-based devices like Wave Swell Energy’s ( WSE ) blowhole energy generator, it can be constructed entirely from recycled materials. Consumers can use its steady output directly after being transmitted back to shore via cables. The energy generated can produce and store hydrogen to be transported back to land. Additionally, it should have minimal impact on marine life and the sea floor.

These chains of floats move like a snake as waves pass through, following the curves of the water. Lever arms connect the floats to an inflexible spine-like central power system rather than directly to one another. The central power system stays relatively still while the floats go up and down with the waves. The levers attached to the spine unit cause the electrical generators inside them to rotate.

The size and speed of the ocean waves are determined as they encounter the Waveline Magnet. These measurements enable it to fine-tune the power extraction at each generator as the wave travels down the line. According to SWEL, this device can operate in “all wave heights” and “severe wave conditions do not negatively affect the device’s performance, but rather improve it, without survivability complications.”

Over the past decade, SWEL has produced several generations of prototypes. These have undergone wave tank testing at the University College Cork, the University of Cyprus, the University of Plymouth, the LIR National Ocean Test Facility, and Centrale Nantes. Meanwhile, others have been field tested on the open seas. According to SWEL, “one single Waveline Magnet will be rated at over 100 MW in energetic environments.”

Adam Zakheos, the inventor and CEO, said in a  press release :

We can show how a commercial-sized device using our technology will achieve a Levelized Cost of Energy (LCoE) less than 1c€(US$0.01)/kWhr, crushing today’s wave energy industry reference value of 85c€ (US$0.84)/kWh.

LCoE is a comprehensive examination of an energy source over its entire lifetime, considering the project’s initial capital and ongoing cost of energy production. It would be spectacular if these spine-like devices had an LCoE of one penny per kWh (US$10/MWh); that would mean they would create power for less than half the price of solar and wind. According to  Lazard’s calculations , if that LCoE is accurate, it would easily outperform gas, coal, nuclear, geothermal, or other known energy generation sources.

Despite extensive wave tank testing, SWEL claims it is still compiling the findings. Information about “performance & scale-up predictions, numerical and techno-financial modeling, feasibility studies and technology performance level.” has not yet been provided.

The only available test results are from wave tank testing  at Centrale Nantes , which are relatively low. During these tests, a 32-meter-long (105-ft) prototype that weighed “about 1.8 tonnes” reached a peak power output of 1.4 kW.

The company claims a single wave energy converter could generate as much as 100 megawatts. This raises the question of how long and heavy the anticipated device will be to achieve peaks 71,429 times higher than what this prototype produced. However, they were in relatively short waves.

“Wave and tidal experts must re-evaluate their thought process and understanding of the wave,”  said Adam Zakheos . “Our technology challenges the current understanding, delivering significantly greater results than competing wave energy converters. We can demonstrate to both the believers and non-believers how the Waveline Magnet is set to change the world.”

Apex Clean Energy  points out:

Clean energy projects generate millions of dollars in annual revenue over decades, providing stable and predictable income for families, funding for schools and hard infrastructure, tax relief for host communities, and so much more.

However, we’ll need to see some convincing independent analysis to support SWEL’s ludicrous LCoE claims. But according to the business, the subsequent reports  will pave  the way for commercialization.

The only downfall is part of the device is made of plastic. However, in the future, the device could be created from recyclable materials that are even less harmful to the environment than solar panels and wind turbines. SWEL also says that its device can help prevent coastal erosion by decreasing the impact of the waves close to the coast.

Next, SWEL needs to commercialize its offshore energy technology and send it out for mass production so that it can be used by companies worldwide. If SWEL lives up to its promises, we will witness a clean energy revolution, which the world desperately needs.