Bermuda Expands Legal Framework to Incorporate Wave Energy

The Government of Bermuda has approved regulations for innovative licenses to provide electricity to the island, further clearing a regulatory path for Seabased’s planned wave energy park. Bermuda, and Minister of Home Affairs, the Hon. Walter H. Roban, have provided an example to countries and communities everywhere for creating a legal and regulatory process to incorporate wave power into their renewable energy mix.

Minister Roban, was quoted as saying “This important milestone in Bermuda’s efforts towards sustainable energy development will encourage innovation among energy creators while ensuring grid stability and ultimately benefitting our island and our people.”

Seabased CEO Laurent Albert noted that the focus of innovation in renewable energy often centers on the technology. “But,” he said, “the regulatory piece is just as important, and requires the support of an entire community. Bermuda and Minister Roban have done an excellent job of creating a template that many other communities can use to expand their renewable base.”

Bermuda and Seabased Sign Agreement for Site of 40MW Wave Energy Power Park

Fresh on the heels of COP26, Bermuda is leading in the energy transition by inaugurating the third vertical of renewable energy: blue ocean power. On 22 November in Hamilton, Bermuda, Deputy Premier and Minister of Home Affairs Hon. Walter Roban JP, MP, announced an agreement to move forward on the development of what promises to be the world’s first utility-scale commercial ocean wave power park. With a 40MW capacity, the park will fuel the island’s grid, providing roughly 10% of Bermuda's energy needs.

“We appreciate the support of Seabased and the vision of Mr. (Wendall) Brown and the team to see Bermuda as an opportunity for this wonderful technology,” Minister Roban said at the press conference. “We are the first jurisdiction in this region--North America, South America, and the Caribbean—to have the opportunity to deploy this technology. This is significant in that out of the COP26 events and the obvious commitment globally to begin to move away from fossil fuels, we have the opportunity to show that we are serious about this transition…. We are making a sincere effort, as a small island jurisdiction, to adapt.”

Minister Roban introduced Mr. Wendall Brown, a principle in the project as well as CEO of Bermuda General Agency and owner of several successful businesses in Bermuda.

“Mr. Brown brought Seabased to Bermuda,” Minister Roban said. “His patience, focus, perseverance, and willingness to go through the process was instrumental in getting us here today.”

Deputy Premier and Minister of Home Affairs Hon. Walter Roban, JP, MP (left) and Seabased CEO Laurent Albert (inset)

Meeting environmental goals

The Minister said the government of Bermuda is committed to attracting innovative solutions to the island and dedicated to an environmentally friendly sustainable future for its citizens and the planet. On an island beleaguered by the high cost of imported fossil fuels, Seabased wave power parks offer a renewable solution that reduces the cost of electricity and provides energy security. As part of the project, Seabased has been working with stakeholders in Bermuda and is finalizing an Environmental Impact Report.

“The Department of Environment and Natural Resources or DENR led this initiative,” Minister Roban said. “It held multiple consultations with stakeholders, including the Ministry of Transport and Ministry of Public Works, the Marine Resources Board, and the Commercial Fisheries Council.” DENR, he said, worked to ensure that the location would not only provide the needed amount of renewable wave energy, but also produce minimal disruption to shipping lanes, while meeting several key sustainability and environmental goals. Among these: striking a balanced approach with the fishing industry; having no impact on whales in the area; not harming any protected species, including coral and seagrass; and avoiding any impact on the marine heritage.

Previous studies have shown that a possible increase of biodiversity and desirable fish species can be achieved over time as a result of the park’s presence in the leased area, a few kilometers offshore from Bermuda’s airport on St. George’s Island.

“We have come to know, respect, and appreciate the Bermudan government and the representatives we work with in Bermuda,” said Seabased CEO Laurent Albert. “They have demonstrated their bold commitment, both to fighting climate change and to providing energy security from an abundant local renewable resource—the ocean. We are delighted to be working with Bermuda and with Mr. Brown, who has agreed to be our distributor in the Caribbean.”

An innovative solution for an innovative island

Seabased is a blue power company which harnesses ocean waves for abundant renewable consistent power at utility scale. A global market leader, its proprietary technology is protected by over 300 patents and was invented by professors Mats Leijon and Hans Bernhoff, internationally recognized electrical engineers who developed the technology initially at Uppsala University in Sweden.  

“I am confident that this pilot will prove to be a success,” Minister Roban said. “Seabased has extensively tested and refined its technology, including two successful full-scale demonstration wave power parks.”

Mr. Albert believes Seabased wave power parks can contribute greatly to enabling the green energy transition. “This will be the next, bold step in Bermuda’s renewable energy transition as well as Seabased’s industrial rollout. At the same time, it will address the urgent needs for a sustainable and clean energy future.

Project principal Wendall Brown, Minister Walter Roban, Seabased CEO Laurent Albert

Watch the press conference here

Seabased will install utility scale wave park in Brittany

In the race to commercialize wave energy, the Brittany region in France may plant a flag as home to Europe’s first utility scale commercial wave energy park. With the support of the region, Seabased, a wave energy company led by French CEO Laurent Albert, is planning to build a 10 MW wave power park in Audierne Bay.

“The Region of Brittany is pleased to support this particularly innovative commercial project which will contribute to the production of competitive renewable energy along the coast of Brittany,” says Loïg Chesnais-Girard President of the Regional Council of Brittany.

Philippe Thieffry, Manager of Bretagne Ocean Power noted that the project will help maintain the region of Bretagne as a unique showroom of ocean energy technology, especially since it could be Europe’s first grid-connected utility-scale wave energy park. And it will help promote industrial and economic growth in the region That is the purpose of Bretagne Ocean Power which serves as a central accelerator for marine renewable energy projects in the area.

For Seabased, the opportunity to install its soon-to-be-unveiled commercial system in Audierne bay is ideal. “Brittany is doing a fantastic job of building a one-of-a-kind ocean power innovation hub and ecosystem in an area that previously had few renewables,” says Albert. “They have been wonderful to work with and we look forward to continuing to collaborate with them to realize this milestone project.”

Why Seabased was chosen

Seabased already works with Brittany-based ENAG, a company that specializes in energy conversion. ENAG has built Seabased’s unique electrical system.

“Seabased’s relationship with ENAG is important for us in terms of being compliant with the roadmap for industrial development for Brittany,” says Thieffry. “But in choosing renewable energy projects to complement the ones already in the region, it is also important for us to invite companies that are on the verge of commercialization, that have already performed some tests at full scale in real conditions.”

Bretagne Ocean Power has already developed ocean energy projects in the area, identified the zones that work for different technologies, and worked with local stakeholders such as local fishermen. “There’s a huge amount of support in Bretagne to see these new ocean energy projects come to life,” Thieffry says.

The planned wave power park will begin with a pilot 2MW and scale up to 10MW and will be connected to the French grid.

Seabased’s wave power technology uses a buoy on the surface of the ocean that moves with the waves. This motion lifts a heavy, magnetized weight called a translator up and down inside the generator that rests on the sea floor. The generator – called a Wave Energy Converter, or WEC - converts this mechanical energy into electrical energy which it sends to Seabased’s unique electrical system, also located on the seabed. The electrical system converts the power from many generators to a single stream of grid-ready electricity.

The company has completed two grid-connected wave power demonstration parks and is in the process of final system optimization and 3rd party certification before full commercialization.

For the CEO of Seabased, this project has an extra benefit. “I’m very happy to announce our first commercial project in Europe in my home country,” Albert said.