Wave Energy Project
APDL - Administração dos Portos do Douro, Leixões e Viana do Castelo, S.A., is going to grant a licence for the private use of the public water domain, on the north pier of the Douro bar, in the municipality of Porto, for the installation of a small renewable energy production unit using ocean waves.
This intention follows on from the assumptions that were at the start of the project to build the Douro jetties, to install a wave energy production unit, and which this Administration is now implementing as part of the Port of Leixões Energy Transition Roadmap towards Carbon Neutrality that APDL has underway.
The company EW Portugal - Wave Energy Solutions Unipessoal, Lda (EWP - Eco Wave Power (EWP)) has already expressed an interest to APDL in installing a small production unit (UPP) with a maximum installed capacity of 1 MW, with electrical equipment, conversion units and floats attached to the aforementioned breakwater, to produce renewable energy from ocean waves. The Swedish company has developed a patented, intelligent and economical technology for transforming ocean and sea waves into green electricity.
O projeto, inovador em Portugal, consiste, numa primeira fase, na instalação de uma Unidade de Pequena Produção composta por flutuadores e unidades de conversão de energia, no quebra-mar / molhe norte da Barra do Douro – Estrutura Sul, que permitem captar energia das ondas, transformando-a em energia elétrica. Para o efeito, a EWP procedeu ao registo, junto da Direção-Geral de Energia e Geologia, do seu projeto de 1 MW, tendo-lhe sido atribuída a respetiva potência de ligação.
The project, which is innovative in Portugal, consists, in a first phase, of installing a Small Production Unit made up of floats and energy conversion units, on the breakwater / north jetty of Barra do Douro - South Structure, which make it possible to capture wave energy and transform it into electrical energy. To this end, EWP registered its 1 MW project with the Directorate-General for Energy and Geology and was awarded the respective connection power.
n view of the above, any parties interested in the private use of that plot have the opportunity, within 30 working days, counting from the working day following the publication of this Notice in the Diário da República, apply to the APDL offices, located at Av. da Liberdade, 4450 -718 Leça da Palmeira, or by email to dominial@apdl.pt, for the issue of a title with the same object and purpose, or to object to the award of the title advertised here, all under the terms of the legal provisions mentioned.
As part of APDL's Energy Transition Roadmap for the Port of Leixões towards Carbon Neutrality, a proposal was submitted by the company Eco Wave Power (EWP), whose mission is to support the production of clean energy from ocean waves. EWP is an international company, a leader in wave energy technology, which has developed a patented, intelligent and economical technology for transforming ocean waves into clean electricity. The project, which is innovative in Portugal, consists, in a first phase, of installing a Small Production Unit made up of floats and energy conversion units, on the breakwater / north jetty of Barra do Douro - South Structure, which make it possible to capture wave energy and transform it into electricity. To this end, EWP registered its 1 MW project with the Directorate-General for Energy and Geology and was awarded the respective connection power.
The project is in line with the government's plan for the development of renewable energies, a sector that could generate 254 million euros in investments, 280 million euros in gross added value and create 1500 new jobs. The plan's main strategic objective is to create a competitive and innovative industrial export cluster for renewable ocean energies, wave energy.
How does EWP technology work?
1. Float - The float moves with the movement of the waves
2. Piston - The movement of the waves moves a piston, compressing the hydraulic fluid
3. Accumulator - The accumulator stores the compressed fluid
4. Hydraulic motor - When the compressed fluid is released, the energy drives a hydraulic motor
5. Generator - A hydraulic motor drives an electric generator, producing clean electricity
6. Hydraulic fluid tank - The hydraulic fluid returns to the tank, where it is stored until the next wave.
Advantages of the project
This pioneering wave energy project will consolidate Leixões as a sustainable port and reduce its environmental impact. The project is emission-free and, as such, will reduce the emission levels associated with APDL and promote the fulfilment of renewable energy targets.
APDL thus becomes a pioneer in the wave energy sector and will receive global recognition for the project.
Using wave energy to produce electricity at APDL's facilities will increase the port's resilience and reduce its dependence on the external electricity grid. The use of wave energy will make it possible to produce energy more efficiently, as EWP's wave energy system requires much less land than other renewable energies.
The clean electricity produced from the wave energy system can be used to meet daily electricity needs or, alternatively, sold, which will represent a new source of income for the region.
By implementing the project, APDL will help the Portuguese government fulfil its obligations under the national EI-ERO strategy and promote national renewable energy targets.
From an infrastructural point of view, the implementation of the EWP brings added advantages, since the floats installed on the outside of the marine structure will reduce the effects of wave erosion, increasing the longevity of the structures and reducing maintenance costs.
As it is a pilot project, the EWP will be a landmark for visits by leaders, diplomats and investors who are concerned about the environment, who will come to the Port of Leixões to study and observe this new cutting-edge technology. In addition, the construction of a wave energy project on APDL's premises will create new job opportunities for professionals and technicians and will foster the creation of a new local industry in the surrounding region.
At the same time, with this facility, we will be fulfilling the initial development premise of the Jetty, which was based on the objective of housing a wave energy project, and will now be used for the purpose for which it was actually built, showing the proper use of public resources.
The project will enable the region to support the objectives embraced by the Portuguese government in relation to wave energy, under the EI-ERRO strategy, and facilitate the creation of an industry for this production in the country. This unique project will help the region fulfil its EU renewable energy directives as well as national renewable energy targets..
The project will also be an important source of new foreign direct investment in the surrounding urban area, namely through the development, construction and maintenance of the power station, which will create significant employment opportunities and foster the creation of new industrial centres in the region.
The northern region will become a pioneer in the wave energy sector and will take the lead in this form of energy production, becoming the recipient of the first wave energy project interconnected to the grid in Portugal.
The power station will also brand the surrounding territories as sustainable cities and cement the Eco-Tourism destination brand, as it will attract scientists, energy experts, students and investors from all over the world, who will be looking to study this new type of renewable energy at work.
The project will expand local clean electricity production capacity and make the city of Porto, in particular, more independent of other energy sources.
The project will become a model for other coastal cities in Portugal and around the world that will seek to adopt similar practices for their own energy needs. Being 100 per cent emission-free, it will reduce fuel-related pollution in the surrounding cities.
The EWP project also hopes to position itself as a model for other national and international ports, helping to continue to inspire real change and a global energy transition..