The Hybrid Energy Future: Bombora’s Wave-Wind Power Platform Clears Key Tests
From Lab to Ocean: A Dual-Powered Energy Solution Takes Shape
Bombora Wave Power has completed a critical phase of testing for its ambitious hybrid energy platform, combining wave and wind power on a single floating structure. The tank tests, conducted at the University of Edinburgh’s FloWave facility, subjected the system to brutal simulated ocean conditions—a proving ground for its durability and efficiency. The results could accelerate the race to commercialize hybrid renewable systems.
“This isn’t just about stacking technologies—it’s about rethinking how we harness the ocean’s energy,” says a Bombora spokesperson.
The InSPIRE Project integrates Bombora’s 4 MW mWave™ system—a submerged membrane that flexes with wave pressure to generate power—with a towering 10 MW wind turbine on a semi-submersible platform. Following a pre-FEED (Front-End Engineering Design) phase in 2022, the latest tests focused on extreme load scenarios and dynamic responses, crucial for surviving real-world storms.
Why Hybrid? Grid Stability and Cost Efficiency
The hybrid approach isn’t just an engineering flex. By pairing intermittent wind with the more predictable pulse of wave energy, Bombora aims to smooth power output fluctuations that plague renewables. The target? A Levelised Cost of Energy (LCOE) of €60/MWh at scale—competitive with traditional offshore wind. “You’re sharing infrastructure like mooring lines and grid connections, which drives down costs,” explains an industry analyst.
Meanwhile, Bombora’s £20 million Pembrokeshire Demonstration Project nears completion, where the mWave technology alone will face open-ocean trials at Technology Readiness Levels 7/8 (TRL 7/8). Success here would mark a leap toward commercialization.
Europe Bets Big on Wave Energy
Bombora’s progress aligns with broader momentum. The company was among seven selected for EuropeWave, a €20 million initiative testing wave energy prototypes in Orkney and Spain’s Basque Country. And with the Global Wind Energy Council forecasting 16+ GW of floating wind capacity by 2030, platforms like Bombora’s could tap into two booming markets simultaneously.
The challenge now? Scaling beyond prototypes. “The real test begins when these systems face the Atlantic’s fury for years,” warns a marine energy researcher. But if Bombora’s numbers hold, the ocean’s untapped energy might soon power more than just poetic metaphors.
