WAVEDRAGON
Pioneering Technology
for Bulk Generation of Wave Power
OBJECTIVES
This project will realise the Wave
Dragon technology and develop it
from the tested all-steel-built 20 kW
prototype to a full-size
composite-built 4-7 MW unit and,
by comprehensive testing, validate its
technical and economic feasibility.
The RTD part of the project will
develop Wave Dragon’s
energy-absorbing structure, the low
head turbine power take-off system
and the control systems; develop
cost-effective construction methods
and establish the optimal combination
of in situ cast concrete, post-stressed
reinforcement and pre-stressed
concrete elements; develop
a cost-effective 250-440 kW hydro
turbine system; demonstrate reliable
and cost-effective installation
procedures and O&M schemes;
and establish the necessary basis
for design codes/recommendations
for offshore multi-MW devices.
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Challenges
The Wave Dragon is an offshore wave energy
converter of the overtopping type. The development
work is, to a large extent, built on proven techno-
logies and Wave Dragon is by far the largest
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wave energy converter known today. Each unit
will have a rated power of 4-11 MW or more,
depending on how energetic the wave climate is The Wave Dragon technology absorbs wave energy by
at the deployment site. In addition to this, Wave overtopping water. Power is generated when water from
the above mean water level storage reservoir is drained
Dragon - due to its large size - can act as a
back to sea through traditional hydro propeller turbines.
floating foundation for MW wind turbines, thus
adding a very significant contribution to annual
power production at a marginal cost. systems to make wave power plants a viable
solution. Wave energy converters have to com-
By using the overtopping principle for energy
pete with other renewable energy technologies.
absorption, there is no upper limit on device size
It has become obvious that wave power can be
and rated power for Wave Dragon, as opposed
much cheaper than, for instance, photovoltaic
to technologies that rely on moving bodies etc.
power and there are good reasons to believe
(like buoys, hinged bodies and oscillating water
that in a few years it will be a serious competitor
columns) for energy absorption.
to offshore wind power.
Wave Dragon’s competitive advantage lies in its
scale and hence capital cost: only nine units are
Project structure
required to make a 100 MW power station,
compared to 100-1000 units required by most This project is organised in seven operative work
technologies, and the few moving parts improve packages, each with clearly defined deliverables:
reliability and reduce maintenance costs. The
• Scaling-up/design – Development and design
design simply reapplies a well-proven existing
of full-size power producing unit and sub-
technology that has been around for 80 years.
systems
Wave Dragon is essentially a floating hydro-
electric dam. • Construction, manufacturing and deployment
Developers of wave energy converters face a • Establishment of monitoring system, operation
series of major challenges: first we have to and maintenance
develop machinery that can operate and survive
• Design parameter analysis
in this very tough environment and, secondly,
we have to optimise operation and maintenance • Power production and control strategy
• Life cycle / Environmental Impact Assessment
and socio-economic aspects
• Dissemination and exploitation
All the R&D-related work packages are covered
by this project. Work package 2 – construction
and deployment – is funded from other sources.
This project will realise the Wave Dragon technolo-
gy, developing it from the tested all-steel-built
scale 1:4.5 prototype to a full-size composite-built
The Wave Dragon is a floating device consisting of two 4-7 MW unit and, by comprehensive testing,
parabolic arms that reflects and enlarges waves towards a validate its technical and economic feasibility.
ramp. Wave energy is absorbed passively by overtopping
water that is collected and short-term stored in a reservoir
behind the ramp.
 Project Information
Contract number
019983

Duration
36 months

Contact person
Dr. H.C. Sorensen
Wavedragon
info@wavedragon.net

List of partners
Balslev AS – DK
Dr. techn. Olav Olsen A/S – NO
ESB International Ltd – IE
The R&D activities will: costly (in both time and money) problems from
Kössler Ges.m.b.H – AT
occurring in the future. The work done up to now
• Develop the optimal way to construct the Munich University of Technology – DE
has confirmed that the performance predicted on NIRAS AS – DK
Wave Dragon, taking into account the large
the basis of wave-tank testing and turbine model University of Aalborg – DK
physical size, the facilities and skills available
tests will be achieved in a full-scale prototype. University of Wales Swansea – GB
and also the techniques required to combine
Warsaw University of Technology – PL
steel and reinforced concrete to make up the This project will develop the technological basis
Wave Dragon ApS – DK
structural form we require. for a commercially viable solution to the bulk
Wave Dragon Wales Ltd – GB
generation of renewable power and thus add to
• Finalise the development of the power takeoff
Europe’s ability to tackle the problems of security Website
system consisting of simplified hydro turbines,
of supply and greenhouse gas emissions. www.wavedragon.net/wavedragon_mw
advanced inverter technology and permanent
magnet synchronous generator technology, in Project officer
combination with an advanced control system Expected results Anna Gigantino
never tested in full scale before.
The quantitative objectives refer to a 24 kW/m Status
• Demonstrate that the Wave Dragon hull and wave climate: ongoing
reflectors can be constructed with a combi-
• Higher energy production of each unit to a
nation of reinforced concrete and steel.
total of 10 GWh/y, resulting in a total
• Demonstrate the deployment of the full- improvement of 12%; where 5% is from
scale device and document its basic hydraulic improvement by a better control system and
behaviour in relatively calm water before the 7% is from the new power take-off system.
final deployment.
• A reduction in the overall installation capacity
• Develop an operation and maintenance cost of 5% compared with the state-of-the-art.
scheme and operate a wave energy device in
• A reduction in operation and maintenance
MW-size using an advanced control system
costs of 5%.
and a new innovative power take-off system.
The test programme will demonstrate the
• Run an advanced test programme on the
availability, power production predictability,
device in order to gain information not only
power production capability and medium-to long-
for the documentation of its behaviour but
term electricity generation costs at € 0.052/kWh
also to establish scientific knowledge far
in a wave climate of 24kW/m, which can be
beyond the state-of-the-art today.
found relatively close to the coast in the major
• Establish the socio-economic impact of Wave part of the EC Atlantic coast. In a 36kW/m wave
Dragon such as job creation, life cycle assess- climate, the corresponding cost of energy will be
ment and environmental impact related to a € 0.04/kWh
MW-size wave energy device.
Wave Dragon marks a significant breakthrough
All R&D activities in this project will be carried towards commercial exploitation of the abundant
out in relation to a 7 MW Wave Dragon device energy concentrated in ocean waves. Seagoing
that will be constructed and deployed off the trials of the Wave Dragon prototype have
South-West Welsh coast. proven its offshore survivability since March
2003 and more than verified the potential for
During long-term testing in a real-sea environ-
commercial feasibility of large-scale power
ment, the Wave Dragon prototype has progressed
generation below the costs of offshore wind
to the point where it is now producing electricity
power. Wave Dragon is unique among wave
80% of the time. This real-sea testing has also
energy converters as it harnesses the energy of
proven its seaworthiness, floating stability and
waves directly via water turbines in a one-step
power production potential. Operation of the
conversion system and not via moving bodies or air
device in a harsh offshore environment has led
chambers. It is housed in a very simple construction
to a number of smaller component failures: all
in which, importantly, the turbines are the only
of these have been investigated and technical
moving parts.
solutions have been found, thus preventing
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