Renewable Energy

AW-Energy, Kaoko Green Energy Solutions ink wave energy MoU

May 15, 2023

AW-Energy signs MoU in support of Namibia’s decarbonization goals using its WaveRoller wave energy technology.

WaveRoller is a device that converts ocean wave energy to electricity. The machine operates in near-shore areas (about 0.3 km to 2 km from the shore) at depths of between 8 m and 20 m.

Offshore staff

FINLAND — AW-Energy, a provider of near-shore wave energy technology, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) May 3 with Kaoko Green Energy Solutions (Pty) Ltd. in Namibia.

The MoU is devoted to the development of renewable energy and aims to produce green hydrogen from renewable energy sources including wave energy. It is an initiative that supports a mutual intention to co-operate and explore knowledge share opportunities for the development of clean and sustainable ocean energy resource and the assessment phase of wave farm developments in Namibia.

The project will be operated in three phases:

Phase 1 will include a detailed site design and cover the fabrication and deployment of a WaveRoller wave farm on the coast of Swakopmund, Namibia, to deliver renewable power to support in-land resettlement and development;
Phase 2 will assess the capacity for wavefarms in several locations in Namibia; and
Phase 3 will expand wave energy plants to deliver power to the grid and help in new ways to provide energy for desalination and green hydrogen projects.

The back-and-forth movement of water driven by wave surge puts the WaveRoller panel into motion. To maximize the energy that the WaveRoller panel can absorb from the waves, the device is installed underwater at depths of approximately 8 m to 20 m, where the wave surge is most powerful. A single panel absorbs 1.5-2 MW of power from the wave surge. The panel spans essentially the entire depth of the water column from the seabed up to the water surface level.

Sacky Nalusha, a director with Kaoko Green Energy Solutions, said, “It is an open secret that the energy sector in the Southern Africa is currently underdeveloped, creating opportunities for innovative solutions and partnerships that can grow the sector. The current energy shortages in the region have paved ways to explore alternative, untapped and sustainable energy sources. Ocean waves have the potential to provide a sustainable solution to our energy needs and demands.”

Namibia’s Green Hydrogen Council launched its green hydrogen strategy at COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, which supports the country’s commitment to the Paris Agreement on climate change, with the ultimate goal of reducing emissions to net zero by 2050. The strategy will also allow Namibia to become a net exporter of energy by unlocking its potential to meet global demands of 10 million metric tons by 2030 while playing a pivotal role in energy security for the region.

“This MoU is designed to help facilitate ways in which the WaveRoller wave energy device and its technology can be fabricated, manufactured and deployed using local people to support owner-operators in Namibia,” AW-Energy CEO Christopher Ridgewell said. “Combined with other renewable energy sources such as solar, WaveRoller enables significant cost reductions in green hydrogen production and represents a viable solution in the drive to execute the world’s clean energy hydrogen roadmap.”