Wave Dragon

The concept was formulated in 1987, by Danish engineer Erik Friis-Madsen, and patented thereafter.

Between 1998 and 2001, prototype testing of the device was conducted at small-scale (1:50) in the Aalborg University wave tank, and at University College Cork.

In March 2003, a 1:4.5 scale, 237 ton prototype Wave Dragon was towed to the first test site, at the Danish Wave Energy Test Center in Nissum Bredning fjord. It was tested until January 2005, when during a storm the mooring broke and the device drifted onto the beach. The failure was caused by a faulty load transducer.

In April 2006, a modified prototype was deployed to another test site with more energetic wave climate. It was re-deployed again in 2009, with a rated power of 20 kW, and operated until problems with drifting ice halted testing in March 2010. The prototype was scrapped in 2011.

In 2004, plans were announced to build a series of wave power plants off the coast of Milford Haven, Wales. Wave Dragon had hoped to commercialise their technology in Denmark, but following the success of offshore wind power, the Danish government cut funding for other renewable technologies. An environmental impact assessment was completed in 2007 in support of the statutory consents for the "Wave Dragon Pre-Commercial Demonstrator". This project was for a 7 MW Wave Dragon moored off the Pembrokeshire coast in approximately 25 metres (82 ft) water depth, 1.7 kilometres (1.1 mi; 0.92 nmi) west of Long Point. However, the 2008 financial crisis caused delays in financing, and the project was not built.

As of 2022, Wave Dragon is seeking further funding to continue development of the concept.

Wave Dragon is a floating, slack-moored device, like a ship. As a wave energy converter, it functions as an 'overtopping' type which can be deployed as a single unit, or in arrays of up to 200 units; the output of such an array would have a capacity comparable to traditional fossil-fuel power plants.

The first prototype was connected to the power grid in 2003 and was deployed in Nissum Bredning, Denmark. Long term testing was conducted until 2010 to determine system performance; i.e. availability and power production under different weather and tide conditions. A multi-MW deployment was expected in 2009.

The Wave Dragon concept combines existing, mature offshore and hydro turbine technology. In the Wave Dragon, the Kaplan turbine is being tested at the Technical University of Munich. This turbine uses a siphon inlet whereas the next 6 turbines to be installed will be equipped with a cylinder gate to start and stop water inlet to the turbine.