NREL HERO WEC

The Hydraulic and Electric Reverse Osmosis Wave Energy Converter, or HERO WEC, is the first wave-powered system intended for ocean deployment funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and designed, built, and deployed entirely by a national laboratory.
The HERO WEC is a single-body, point-absorber-style wave energy converter that is anchored to the seabed. The modular device is compact and portable and can desalinate ocean water using wave energy. The device has three major subsystems (described in detail below): a float, a frame, and a modular power take-off.
The power take-off is a modular unit that can be configured to spin a generator for the purpose of producing electricity, or it can spin a seawater pump for applications where operating without the use of electricity is desirable. In both configurations, the WEC was designed for the purpose of providing the needed water input into a reverse osmosis (RO) desalination unit.
The seawater reverse osmosis process requires a significant amount of energy to pump enough water at a desired pressure so that the reverse osmosis membranes can separate the salt from the water. In the electric configuration, this is done by producing electricity to power an electric submersible pump, which then feeds the saltwater into the RO system; in the hydraulic configuration, the WEC pumps the water directly to the RO system.
The WEC is anchored using a cable that is spooled around a winch-actuated power take-off. As waves pass the WEC, it moves the WEC up—or away—from the seafloor, spinning the winch, which allows the WEC to extract energy from the waves. Once the WEC reaches the top of the wave, the winch is rewound by a pneumatic spring attached to the winch, so that the cycle can start over and continue to generate power on each subsequent wave.

Technology Developer

National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Additional Information

Device Website

Device Status

Is the device actively being developed or is available for purchase (active)? Or has development or support ended (inactive)?

Active

Technology Type

Point Absorber

Power Take-Off

Mechanism that converts the motion of the prime mover into a useful form of energy such as electricity, learn more

Hydraulic Generator

Max Rated Power Capacity

The maximum amount of electricity that can be produced by the device, as rated by the manufacturer.

NA

"NA" is not a number.

KW

Surface Expression

True

Estimated TRL

Estimated Technology Readiness Level scale from 1 to 9 with 9 being the most mature technology

TRL Last updated: 1 September 2023

3

Energy Resource

Wave

Water Column Position

Last Modified

1 May 2025

Projects Using NREL HERO WEC

Citation Formats

“NREL HERO WEC.” Marine Energy Projects Database: Devices, PRIMRE, United States Department of Energy, https://openei.org/wiki/PRIMRE/Databases/Projects_Database/Devices/NREL_HERO_WEC. Accessed <day> <monthRoman> <year>.

Marine Energy Projects Database: Devices. <year>. "NREL HERO WEC." Accessed <monthRoman> <day>, <year>. https://openei.org/wiki/PRIMRE/Databases/Projects_Database/Devices/NREL_HERO_WEC.

PRIMRE/Databases/Projects Database/Devices/NREL HERO WEC

NREL HERO WEC

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