Poseidon - wind and wave energy combined

Obviously wind turbines are most effective in windy areas, so offshore wind turbines are generally placed in the roughest seas to harness the most energy. Enter Poseidon, a floating platform that uses both wind to power turbines, but also the choppy sea in the form of wave energy.

Poseidon was created by Danish company Floating Power Plant, and although it isn't the first, they claim they have created a multipurpose energy source for the future. The company has built a small prototype, is in the midst of completing a larger one, and ultimately hopes to build a commercial version that will sport three 1.5 megawatt to two megawatt wind turbines or a single five megawatt turbine.

The energy from Poseidon

Depending on the weather conditions, the floating platform could generate between 40 and 50 gigawatt hours of energy per year, which could prove a needed boost to the wave and tidal power market. The general start-up for wave power generators has stalled in the past, mainly due to the investment necessary to build a device which, to be successful, needs to be battered by severe weather elements for decades to achieve a decent return on investment. 

The risk of failing is reduced with Poseidon because it has wind turbines and doesn't need to rely solely on waves, and because it is so big it should withstand inclement weather on the high seas.

So just how big is Poseidon? Well, pretty big. The current demonstration prototype launched in September 2008 weighs a hefty 350 tons, or 450 tons with ballast. And its wave-facing side is 37 metres high. But all of this pales in comparison to the size of the real thing. Indeed a fully fledged Poseidon will have a wave-facing front that extends over two football fields high (230 meters), stretches back 25 meters, dips into the ocean around 25 meters, and weighs about the same as 800 large trucks (20,000 to 30,000 tons).

Power from the plant will cost 10 to 15 euro cents per kilowatt hour.

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Portugal: A pioneer for wave energy? | UK to unlock marine energy potential | Evolve or lose: achieving a performance culture | Keeping our wind energy secure | Gusty winds producing steady power

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