MacGregor Winches for Wave Energy
The newly developed mooring system for the Nemos project
MacGregor has won an order to supply winches for a pilot project using an innovative system that generates electricity from waves. The system is called Nemos and it is ideally suited to work in combination with offshore wind farms, where it can share electrical infrastructure, which lowers the levelised cost of energy (LCOE), and smooth fluctuations in power generation, therefore supporting greater commercial viability of renewable energy capture.
Nemos employs specially shaped floating structures that move in a controlled trajectory to capture up to 80% of available wave energy, compared to 50% achieved by conventional rise and fall systems. Their associated generators and mooring winches can be located on any suitable offshore structure, such as a wind turbine, where they will be protected from seawater and offer easy access for maintenance.
The mooring system employs two fibre ropes for each approximately 20m long floating structure. These ropes are controlled by the MacGregor winches, which deliver the optimum degree of movement to maximise energy capture. The winches can also adjust orientation of the floating structures when wave direction changes. In extreme conditions, the winches can haul them down well below the surface to avoid storm damage. The first commercial Nemos pilot project will be located in the North Sea and it should be fully operational during 2017.