With the connection of the first buoys to the Wave Energy Converters the Sotenäs Wave Power Plant on the Swedish West Coast is now generating electric power to the Nordic Electricity Grid.
The connection of the six meter diameter buoys to the corresponding linear generator Wave Energy Converters on the seabed represents the final step in bringing each unit on line, together making up a system establishing many World firsts, including the World's first multiple unit wave power plant and the World's first subsea generator switchgear.
"This is a very significant achievement", says Prof. Mats Leijon, Seabased CEO. "We are very happy to have come this far and I wish to thank Fortum and the Swedish Energy Agency for their confidence and support all throughout this, sometimes tough, journey", says Mats Leijon. Seabased is continuing working on several other projects utilizing this globally patented concept.
The Sotenäs Wave Power Plant is financed by Fortum, the Swedish Energy Agency and Seabased. Research and Development within Seabased is carried out in close cooperation with researchers at the Centre for Electric Renewable Energy Conversion at the Ångström Laboratory, Uppsala University.