The ocean is the world's largest untapped source of sustainable energy. But this is slowly changing.

Pantalesa, a startup from Portland, Oregon, has introduced Ocean2, a modular wave power converter designed to generate renewable energy from ocean waves. The device, resembling a large buoy, is constructed from durable materials and is currently being tested off the coast of Washington state. Ocean2 operates by converting the kinetic energy of waves into electricity through internal turbines, with preliminary tests indicating it can generate up to 50 kilowatts—enough to power approximately 15 homes.

The company claims that Ocean2's spherical design reduces mechanical stress and minimizes noise pollution, potentially making it less disruptive to marine life. However, the technology is still in the prototype phase and faces challenges such as durability in harsh ocean conditions and scalability. Further testing is needed to confirm its long-term viability and environmental impact.

The orb-like Ocean-2 turns wave power into renewable energy

Think about the vast open ocean covering most of our planet. Imagine the power of the waves, hundreds, no, thousands of kilometres away from shore. What if we could turn this force of nature into clean, sustainable energy? Meet Ocean2, Pantalesa's new wave power converter. Joining the ranks of ambitious renewable energy projects, this giant and strange buoy-like object wants to transform the ways we source our power. Let's see how it works, why it could matter, and whether it can survive the ocean's fury. Constant, powerful, and notoriously difficult to harness, wave power has become a sort of holy grail in renewable energy over the years. Wave and tidal converters are used across the globe, from Sri Lanka to Ghana to France and the UK, which is currently the world's leading producer of wave and tidal power. But wave harnessing comes with its challenges. Converters often break during storms, get fouled by marine biogrowth, or simply cost too much per megawatt to compete with all the other energy sources on the market. And renewable doesn't necessarily mean environmentally friendly. There are major environmental concerns, as wave energy converters tend to contribute to sound pollution in the sea and disturb local ecosystems. Pantalesa, a startup based in Portland, Oregon, believes it's cracked a new design with Ocean2. According to the company, their converter is a modular, flexible buoy system designed to work with the ocean. Here's how. The part of Ocean2 visible above the water's surface makes it look like a giant ball. The energy converter is about 10 meters wide, built from durable composites and rust-proof alloys. The company has been testing Ocean2 off the shore of Puget Sound in Washington state, collecting data on its performance, durability, and ecological impact. But before we dive in, how does wave energy become electrical power? As always, science has the answer, and it's awesome. Remember studying kinetic energy in school? When the wind blows air across the ocean's surface, it creates friction that stacks the water up into waves. The stronger the wind, the bigger and more powerful the waves become. This power, created by movement, is kinetic energy. Now, there are different ways to turn kinetic energy into electrical energy. It's also how wind turbines work. And wave and tidal power projects across the world all have their own conversion techniques. Ocean2's all-black shape could make this process very efficient. When the converter rides on waves, water is forced through internal channels and up into a spherical or semi-spherical surface form, then down again through turbines. Each movement up and down provides a chance to generate electricity. Pantalesa claims that the spherical design can help absorb parts of that energy and reduce the risk of mechanical stress. The thing is, we still can't declare with certainty that this works in practice. Ocean2 is still a prototype, but preliminary testing has so far shown that the converter is indeed quiet, and therefore potentially less intrusive to the marine life around it. Pantalesa says that the first sound tests haven't detected any major disturbances, and their ecologists are monitoring the process. The tests also saw Ocean2 pumping 50 kilowatts of energy, enough to power around 15 houses. There are still a lot of tests and challenges Ocean2 needs to overcome in order to turn this idea into reality. Ocean conditions can be ruthless, and the converter needs to withstand challenges, such as storm surges and the eroding saltiness of water. There are also questions of scalability, and there will be further tests on Ocean2's impact on marine life. But if it proves successful, this project could have huge implications for the way we source our energy. If scaled up, a group of Ocean2 converters could potentially generate gigawatts of wave power for entire communities, and reduce reliance on fossil fuels. So what do you think? Can Ocean2 become a big player in renewable energy? And would you like to see more projects like it? Let us know in the comments, and subscribe for more explainers from What the Future on the technology shaping our world.

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Tel Aviv-Yafo

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