Harnessing Waves For Coastal Hydroelectric Power

A British engineer has reported successfully testing a device that uses wave motion to pump seawater uphill, where it can be stored and released back downhill to power hydroelectric generators. The pump, called “Searaser,” consists of two floats positioned above one another and connected by a piston. The rising and falling of the waves powers a pump that successfully pushed water 160 feet uphill in a recent test. Inventor Alvin Smith said that by using larger floats, the Searaser could pump water at least 650 feet uphill. The U.K.’s often-hilly coastline is ideal for the Searaser technology, according to Smith, who said one pair of floats could provide enough hydroelectric power to electrify 470 homes year-round. Installing 43,000 large Searasers would provide enough electricity for 20 million homes, Smith said.