Executive
Summary for The IPS
OWEC SystemThe waves of the world’s oceans contain an enormous
amount of power and energy. This fact has encouraged inventors and scientist to propose
and test ideas and systems to convert wave energy into electrical energy.
Two Swedish companies, Interproject Service AB (IPS) and Technocean
(TO) have worked together and have been actively involved in research and development
projects to harness "wave energy" for use as an alternative and renewable energy
source for the last twenty years. The activities have included theoretical studies,
economical and market assessments, tank test, lake trials with different size models and full
scale open sea trials. The results have been internationally recognized and will form
a solid base for demonstration and pilot plants to be built in different locations as well
as for the marketing of the IPS system concept world wide.
Years of research has yielded a system which is now ready for production and use
throughout the world. IPS has obtained patents for an "Off-shore Wave Energy
Converter" or OWEC of the buoy type. Additional patents have been obtained covering
various development stages and improvements of the original idea.
A substantial part of the R & D took place in the late 1970’s and the
1980’s, however a real interest in the practical utilization of wave energy as one of
the most important renewable energy resources was not fully realized until the beginning
of the 1990’s. At this time a number of European institutions, organizations and
companies went together in an informal network and was given some financial support from
the Commission of European Communities, within its program for non nuclear energy.
