Twin Ocean Power was born from a bold question: What if we could take the pioneering vision of the Pelamis wave energy converter—and overcome its limitations to unlock the full potential of ocean energy?
The Pelamis wave energy converter was a visionary concept—one of the first technologies to show how floating machines could generate electricity from ocean waves. But like many early-stage innovations, it faced real-world challenges that limited its long-term success.
The Key Challenges of the Pelamis:
⚠️ Risky mechanical design — Complex joints and hydraulics made the system vulnerable to operational faults and breakdowns.
⚡ Limited energy conversion efficiency — Energy was only extracted from a narrow range of motion, leaving much of the wave power untapped.
🌊 Difficult to scale and survive — The design struggled in extreme sea conditions, limiting deployment in the most energetic wave zones.
🔧 High maintenance and operating costs — Frequent servicing was required, making the system expensive and impractical for commercial use.
Twin Ocean Power reimagines the Pelamis design with radical improvements in structure, mechanics, and energy capture. Our three-body system—a central body flanked by two side bodies—introduces a new dynamic interaction with waves. It converts both heave and pitch motions more efficiently, with stronger stability and lower stress on components.
Here’s how we transformed the design:
✅ Robust, simplified mechanics — Our design minimizes points of failure with fewer moving parts and more durable joints.
🌊 Multi-directional energy capture — The Twin-body + Center-body structure efficiently converts both heave and pitch motions.
🛠️ Engineered for survival — Built for long-term deployment in harsh, open-ocean environments like Oregon’s PacWave test site.
💡 Lower cost, higher performance — Smart design choices reduce maintenance and increase energy output per dollar invested.
📈 Scalable architecture — Modular units can be deployed in arrays, powering large coastal users like data centers or hydrogen plants.
Today, Twin Ocean Power stands where Pelamis left off—not just as an evolution, but a revolution in wave energy. We’re taking wave power from concept to commercial reality.
From Pelamis to the Future of Wave Energy
Watch our 1:15 scale prototype being tested at the H.O. Hinsdale Wave Research Laboratory, Oregon State University.