Offshore staff
LONDON, PARIS, and HOUSTON – TechnipFMC and Bombora have formed a strategic partnership to develop a floating wind and wave power project.
The relationship brings together TechnipFMC’s technologies and experience delivering integrated engineering, procurement, construction, and installation projects offshore with Bombora’s patented multi-megawatt mWave technology that converts wave energy into electricity.
The partnership will initially focus on the InSPIRE (Integrated Semisubmersible Platform with Innovative Renewable Energy) project. With engineering work initiated in November 2020, the partnership is developing a hybrid system using Bombora’s mWave technology. The hybrid system demonstrator will deliver 6 MW (2 MW wave and 4 MW of wind power), followed by Series 1 and Series 2 commercial platforms which are expected to deliver 12 and 18 MW, respectively.
According to Bombora, mWave features a series of air-filled rubber membrane covered concave cell modules positioned below the ocean’s surface transforming the submerged platform structure into productive real-estate, capturing maximum energy.
As waves pass over mWave, under-water pressure increases, causing each rubber membrane to compress sequentially, forcing air from inside the cells into a duct. Valves control a one-way air flow to the turbine — directly spinning a generator converting this rotation into electricity. After passing through the turbine the air is recycled to re-inflate each membrane in a continuous sequence. The power generated by the system is transferred to the electrical grid via the same subsea cable used for the wind turbine.
The membranes can be fully deflated creating a “sleep mode” protecting mWave from storm damage, the company said.
04/01/2021
