Ocean Grazer: A Novel Ocean Energy Extraction and Storage Device

This talk will present a novel concept for extracting and storing ocean energy, termed the Ocean Grazer. This hybrid device, currently under development at the University of Groningen, features a number of renewable energy Power Take-Off (PTO) systems, including wave, wind and solar. The presentation will focus on the multi-pump, multi-piston PTO, or MP2PTO, system that comprises a densely packed array of Wave Energy Converters (WECs) and constitutes the core technology of the Ocean Grazer. Modelling and experimental results will be presented, as well as new mechanical design concepts leading to reduced levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) estimates that would make this device competitive with mature renewable technologies such as wind farms. As such, densely packed WEC arrays represent a paradigm shift in the wave energy community and require further fundamental and technological investigations.