In a workshop in Beverwijk there is an installation that can draw power from the waves at sea. Symphony Wave Power is busy developing an idea that originated 25 years ago in the head of Fred Gartner from Hoorn. This is episode three of the NH series about the opportunities for alternative energy production on and around the Wadden Sea.
“We think that we can be in the water by the middle of next year. That we can show in 2026 that everything works well technically. And that we will then be able to develop a first pilot park or demonstration park in 2027,” says Luc Hamilton, CEO of Symphony Wave Power.
There is a long tube in the hall in Beverwijk. “This is the heart of our installation, the inner tube of the entire construction. This will be placed on the seabed and the rest of the installation will move up and down around it. The strength of our idea is that everything is built as simply as possible The installation will need about 20 meters of water when it is standing upright in the sea. The construction itself will therefore be about 15 meters high.”
The idea of this technique did not come out of nowhere. Designer Fred Gartner, long associated with InHolland in Alkmaar, devised a system 25 years ago that he eventually sold to the British. But the technique did not let him go and years later he started thinking further about energy from waves.
“This system supplies 100 kilowatts of power. That is an average. This means that you can provide approximately 60 houses with energy with one such unit. So if you propose a park of 100 units, you can already supply electricity to quite a few houses. If you make 500 of them, you really have an energy park. This technology can be a nice addition to solar and wind energy, which depend on the weather,” says Hamilton.
Report
At the end of January, Minister Rob Jetten received a report from the Wadden Fund about the opportunities of alternative sustainable energy production such as wave power in the Wadden area. TNO has calculated that you will in the future Texel and the other islands can run almost completely on ‘Waddenstroom’.
“You notice that there is a lot of interest from that region to do something with this. We think it has potential for the whole of the Netherlands, and much more worldwide. But we really hope to gain a foothold here.”
Before this technology can be used, a lot of work still needs to be done. “We hope for enthusiasm from parties who want to work with us. We have received a nice subsidy here in the IJmond. We are also trying to get support from the Wadden Fund. But we also need capital from parties who want to make this a success. Without that money we cannot make this happen.”