By Lynda Myer
As the first pre-permitted, full-scale test facility for wave energy devices in the US and delivered for Oregon State University, the PacWave South project’s underground infrastructure engineering in commercial-scale, ocean wave energy testing facility in Oregon was completed by Jacobs.
In order to supporting the evaluation and testing of new energy generation technologies to turn offshore ocean waves to onshore renewable electricity, Jacobs led the engineering services for the HDD Company and the design-build contractor for the project.
With the open-sea conditions 11km off Oregon’s coast, the number of wave energy converters of various designs that PacWave South has allowed to be tested in real-world is up to 20. The project includes four offshore steel conduits up to 36.5m below the seafloor and extending a mile offshore, connecting to a bundle of five onshore high-density polyethylene (HDPE) conduits, all installed using HDD methods and ultimately connecting to PacWave’s Utility Connection and Monitoring Facility. Selecting HDD was due to preventing disturbing sensitive wetlands and beaches and because it allowed the work to be conducted year-round.
According to Jacobs people & places solutions senior vice-president for global business units Koti Vadlamudi: “The engineering for this project was complex, requiring our team to overcome coastal geology challenges, working in the near-shore environment around sensitive coastal wetlands, and meeting a tight schedule to obtain regulatory approval. This work reaffirms our commitment to working with organizations that push the boundaries of what’s possible to address climate change and build resilient energy transition solutions in our communities.”
“Jacobs’ innovative solutions benefited the community. For instance, the collaboration on disguising the large concrete vault built at the state park, which was designed to splice and transition energy from offshore to onshore conduits as a reconstructed parking lot, ensured beachgoers would not see any disruption from the added wave energy testing infrastructure,” said PacWave deputy director Dan Hellin.
Winner of National Recognition Award in the American Council of Engineering Companies’ (ACEC) 2022 Engineering Excellence Awards (EEA) competition was this project.
