For some reason or other, we’ve shown you a lot of robotic snakes here on Giz. But this new one is kind of a robot snake in reverse: it’s designed to float just beneath the surface of the sea and capture wave energy, which it then turns into electrical power. A science team in the UK has been working on the design, and is now testing small versions in a test tank: ultimately the “real” machines would be 7 metres across and 800 metres long, and be able to generate 1 megawatt. Check out the video to see how “Anaconda” works.
Ken-ichi Horie, a 69 year old Japanese sailor, is planning a solo 4,350 mile trip from Hawaii to Japan using the most advanced wave powered boat on the planet. If successful, the trip would earn him a Guinness record while simultaneously proving the viability of wave powered propulsion. His boat, the Suntory Mermaid II, turns wave energy into thrust using two fins mounted beneath the bow. These fins move up and down with the waves and use them to generate “kicks” that propel the boat forward.
Plans for the first large scale wave farm on the planet were given final approval in England today, paving the way for a highly ambitious new method of generating energy off the coast of Cornwall in Southwest England. With an initial cost of over $56 million, the project has the potential to create 1,800 jobs and save over $1.1 billion for the UK over the next 25 years. It’ll do this by generating enough electricity for 7,500 homes, saving 300,000 tons of carbon dioxide over the same period. If the project is a success, look for wave-generated energy to become a more prevalent source of renewable energy elsewhere in the world in the coming years. [SWRDA via NOTCOT.org]
