Aguçadoura Wave Park
| Aguçadoura Wave Farm | |
|---|---|
Pelamis machine bursting through a wave.
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 Location of Aguçadoura Wave Farm
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| Country | Portugal |
| Location | Póvoa de Varzim |
| Coordinates | 41°25′57″N 08°50′33″W / 41.43250°N 8.84250°WCoordinates: 41°25′57″N 08°50′33″W / 41.43250°N 8.84250°W |
| Status | Offline |
| Commission date | 23 September 2008 |
| Wave power facility | |
| Type | Surface-following attenuator |
| Distance from shore | 5 km (3 mi) |
| Power generation | |
| Units operational | 3 × 750 kW |
| Make and model | Pelamis |
| Nameplate capacity | 2.25 MW |
The Aguçadoura Wave Farm was the world's first wave farm. It was located 5 km (3 mi) offshore near Póvoa de Varzim north of Porto in Portugal. The farm was designed to use three Pelamis Wave Energy Converters to convert the motion of the ocean surface waves into electricity, totalling to 2.25 MW in total installed capacity. The farm was officially opened on 23 September 2008, by the Portuguese Minister of Economy. The wave farm was shut down two months after the official opening in November 2008.
Developed by the Scottish company Pelamis Wave Power, the Pelamis machine is made up of connected sections which flex and bend relative to one another as waves run along the structure. This motion is resisted by hydraulic rams which pump high pressure oil through hydraulic motors which in turn drive electrical generators. The three machines which made up the Aguçadoura Wave Park were each rated at a peak output of 750 kW, giving an installed peak capacity of 2.25 MW, enough to meet the average electricity demand of more than 1,500 Portuguese homes. The average output from a Pelamis machine will depend on the wave resource in a particular area. The higher the resource the higher the average output. According to information on the Pelamis web site, it appears that the average power output for a Pelamis wave machine is about 150 kW.
The project was originally conceived by the Portuguese renewable energy company Enersis, which developed and financed the project and which was subsequently bought by the Australian infrastructure company Babcock & Brown in December 2005. In the last quarter of 2008, Babcock & Brown had its shares suspended and has been in a managed process of selling its assets, including the Aguçadoura project. In March 2009, Babcock & Brown went into voluntary administration.
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