It will be able to convert the energy from the waves to directly supply renewable electricity to the island
Eni announces that it has completed, about 800 meters from the coast of the island of Pantelleria, the installation of the first ISWEC (Inertial Sea Wave Energy Converter) device in the world connected to the island's electricity grid which will be able to reach 260kW of peak production of electricity from wave motion. The experimental campaign, conducted in real operating conditions, will lead to useful results for the development of second-generation devices already under study.
Developed by Eni in collaboration with the Turin Polytechnic and Wave for Energy srl (spinoff of the same university), ISWEC is an innovative technology in the field of solutions for the production of offshore renewable energy capable of converting the motion of waves into electricity. It is a highly technological device capable of supplying energy to offshore infrastructures, smaller off-grid islands and coastal communities. ISWEC's design is able to adapt to the typical weather and sea conditions of the installation site, using a genetic algorithm that exploits the high computing power available at the Eni Green Data Center (GDC) in Ferrera Erbognone.
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The machine consists of a steel hull, 8x15m in size, which houses the energy conversion system, consisting of two gyroscopic units of more than 2m in diameter each. The device is kept in position, at a depth of 35 m, by a special self-aligning mooring based on the weather and sea conditions, consisting of three mooring lines and a swivel (rotating joint) while the electricity produced is carried landed by an underwater power cable.
Wave energy is one of the main forms of renewable energy currently undervalued. Suffice it to say that 70% of the earth's surface is covered by water (of which 97% consists of sea and oceans). In particular, the power that can be developed by sea waves corresponds to around 2 terawatts globally, corresponding to around 18 terawatt hours per year, almost equal to the planet's annual electricity demand. Furthermore, the energy of sea waves is more predictable, continuous and of higher energy density than that of the sun and wind, being available both during the day and at night. A further advantage of this technology is the considerable reduction of the landscape impact as the device emerges only for about 1 meter above the water level. Furthermore, ISWEC can be perfectly integrated with other renewable energy production solutions in the offshore sector, such as wind power, in terms of both valorisation of the connection systems to the electricity grid and integration within an area of sea, maximizing the conversion of available energy.
ISWEC technology, which is part of Eni's decarbonization plan, has been cited by the European Commission in its Offshore Renewable Energy Strategy as a key example of a wave energy converter. The installation of ISWEC in Pantelleria is the first step towards the decarbonisation of the island, in line with the energy transition agenda.