India to produce electricity from ocean waves

India is to produce electricity from ocean waves in an innovative clean power initiative, the Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri, has announced.

India’s untapped potential of ocean energy has been estimated at 40,000 MW. India has a vast coastline of 11,098 km spanning nine states and six other union territories governed from New Delhi.

Electricity generation from waves is a relatively new concept. It envisages floaters in water drawing energy from incoming waves by converting the rising and falling motion of the waves.

“Movement of the floaters compresses and decompresses hydraulic pistons which transmit bio-degradable hydraulic fluid into land located accumulators,” according to those producing such electricity.

“Pressure built up by this rotates a hydraulic motor, which rotates the generator, and then the electricity is transferred into the grid, via an inverter,” they explained.

The Minister said, “India has taken steps toward clean energy generation through this process by establishing the country’s first wave energy pilot project in Mumbai.” This premier city of India is surrounded by sea. India’s state-owned Bharat Petroleum Corporation is in charge of this pilot project, Puri added.

WAM