Denmark

Denmark's reputation as an innovator in the alternative energy niche has been enhanced once again by homegrown talent. This time the Danes have turned their gaze to another basic element of life - water. Instead of windmills harnessing the wind's energy, the locally-invented WavePlane harvests the natural energy of waves to produce electricity.

Thought up in 1989 by Erik Skaarup, WavePlane International's managing director, the WavePlane's brilliance lies in its simplicity. A pump without any moving parts, it was the first device to convert wave energy into electricity. Its function is as uncomplicated as its designs.

In the ocean, the WavePlane utilizes the energy generated by each incoming wave. The principle is simple - as a wave moves into the device the water whirls up into an almost horizontal tornado which in turn oxidizes the water.

This oxidation effect is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to potential for the device. The invention can also help remove heavy metals in water, extract valuable minerals or algae for fish food from the ocean, convert saltwater into freshwater, and help clear oil spills, as well as produce electricity.
Danish entrepreneurship and innovation define Managing Director Erik Skaarup's products as a possible solution for a clean energy-rich future.

Such a multitude of offerings from one single device has garnered enormous interest worldwide. The subject of articles in such specialized international magazines as Lloyd's List and Electrical Review, the Waveplane looks like it is the media's new alternative energy darling. Businesses who stand to benefit from the device range from oil companies to fish farms to cities looking to clean their water supplies.

Across the world, Japanese interest has already swelled. Concretely, Skaarup has entered into an exclusive partnership with a well positioned Japanese company - NKK. This alliance will lead to the marketing of the WavePlane in the Japanese market. Well aware of the intricacies of introducing a new product into a foreign market, Skaarup speaks of the confidence he has in his choice of partner and in their ability to both understand and operate within the Japanese market. In fact he refers to Japan as his "most important market."

With a Danish inventor it is no surprise that the WavePlane's applications all have an environmentally-conscious slant. In fact, the OxygenWavePlane is probably one of the least expensive contraptions that can be used to oxidize large volumes of water. With tests already done, Skaarup's innovative invention will fit in very well in a Danish landscape already dotted with tall windmills.

Looking into the future of renewable energy Skaarup projects that his market share percentage will be "possibly 5 percent in Europe within 10 to 15 years".

"There are two things in the future that will be the new gold," he exclaims, "clean water and non-polluting energy."

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