Renewable Energy

Wave energy converter installed off coast of Pantelleria

March 7, 2023

The device developed by Eni, the Politecnico di Torino and Wave for Energy, will convert energy from sea waves to directly supply the island with renewable electricity.

Offshore staff

PANTELLERIA, Italy — Eni has completed the installation of what it says is the world's first ISWEC (Inertial Sea Wave Energy Converter) device connected to the electricity grid of an island.

It is located about 800 m off the coast of the island of Pantelleria and can reach 260 kW of peak power generation converted from wave energy. This experimental campaign, conducted under real operating conditions, will lead to useful results for developing the second-generation device currently under study, Eni said.

ISWEC was developed by Eni in collaboration with the Politecnico di Torino and Wave for Energy s.r.l. (a spinoff of the university). The technology converts wave motion into electricity, which then supplies energy to offshore infrastructure, small off-grid islands and coastal communities. The ISWEC design can be optimized with reference to the metocean conditions of the site where it is installed by means of a genetic algorithm that leverages on the significant computing power of Eni’s Green Data Centre based in Ferrera Erbognone.

The machine consists of a steel hull measuring 8 m by 15 m, which houses the energy conversion system, consisting of two gyroscopic units, each more than 2 m in diameter. The device is held in place in a 35-m deep seabed by a special mooring system that responds to weather and sea conditions, consisting of three mooring lines and a swivel (a rotating joint). The electricity produced is transmitted ashore via an underwater electric cable.

The technology also offers considerable reduction of its impact on the landscape, since the device stands only 1 m above sea water.

Moreover, ISWEC can be integrated perfectly with other offshore renewable energy production systems, such as wind power generators, both because it enhances the value of connection systems and because it can be integrated with other facilities in the same sea area, thereby maximizing the conversion of available energy, Eni said.

03.07.2023