The energy collector comprises a sloping reinforced shell built into the rock face on the shoreline with an inlet big enough to allow seawater to freely enter and leave a central chamber. As waves enter the shell chamber, the level of water rises, compressing the air in the top of the chamber. This air is then forced through a "blowhole" and into the "Wells Turbine", designed by Professor Alan Wells of Queen's University.
The turbine has been designed to continue turning the same way irrespective of the direction of the airflow. As the water inside the chamber recedes as the waves outside draw back, the air is sucked back under pressure into the chamber, keeping the turbine moving. This constant stream of air in both directions, created by the oscillating water column, produces enough movement in the turbine to drive a generator which converts the energy into electricity.