This story is part of Choosing Earth, a series that chronicles the impact of climate change and explores what’s being done about the problem.
A Scottish startup says its prototype wave-energy device produced “highly encouraging results.”
AWS Ocean announced that after six months at sea its Archimedes Waveswing produced more than 10 kilowatts during moderate wave conditions, with peaks as high as 80 kilowatts. That beat company expectations by 20 percent.
Waveswing is a 50-ton buoylike device that’s tethered to the ocean floor and sits below the water’s surface. It uses the force of passing waves to generate power. Watch the video above to learn more about how Waveswing works.
AWS Ocean says its prototype survived force 10 gale conditions. This trial period, taking place off Scotland’s Orkney Islands, is expected to wrap up before the end of the year, with more trials planned in 2023.