While there are renewable energies such as solar or wind that are accelerating decarbonization, there are others that remain a melon to be opened, such as wave drive. The potential of waves is enormous, as you well know. island countries like Japan and places known for how brave their coast is like Galicia.
It is true that some installation already exists, such as Mutriku’sbut its size and performance is rather discreet. To take wave power to another level, you need technology reliable enough to create a large plant and someone external to attest to it. There is the fence comes down to two places and one company: Portugal and Scotland, both from the Swedish company CorPower Ocean.
The invention. CorPower Ocean’s C4 power converter measures nine meters in diameter, 18 meters in height and about 100 tons in mass. Since 2023, it has been installed and operational in the testing phase four kilometers off the coast of Aguçadoura, in the north of Portugal, at a depth of 45 meters. The device has achieved a historic milestone for wave energy: its C4 has received the first prototype certificate from Det Norske Veritas, the world reference entity in offshore energy.
What does this mean? In short: that the technology meets the requirements of resistance, reliability and safety. In addition to reviewing and approving the conceptual development, detailed engineering, structural resistance and fatigue analysis, manufacturing, assembly, dry testing, installation, the most striking thing is that they have approved its performance in storms with waves of up to 18.5 meters.
Why it is important. Because wave energy has been the unfinished business of renewables for more than half a century, far behind in performance (and obviously, also in exploitation of others such as wind or solar). That an independent certifying entity has given the go-ahead means that the technology is ready to make the leap to commercial production in terms of performance and safety, which opens the door to materializing projects once the necessary investment arrives.
Here is the crux of the matter: if the technology is reliable, it is easier to convince financial and investment entities that it is worth betting on it.
Context. Since the first prototypes will be patented in 1981 by engineers Laithwaite and Salter, other states such as Japan, Spain and Italy They have tried it without much success: wave power is still stuck in the experimental phase without making the commercial leap. Among the problems they have to deal with is the unpredictability of the waves: there may be some, but they are variable in height, pace and direction. On the other hand, the harsh marine environment also does not help in the design and maintenance of the devices.
In detail. Certification is not the final stage, but rather the beginning of its commercial implementation: CorPower is already preparing its first two commercial parks, in Portugal and Scotland, with the stated objective of placing wave energy as the third major renewable source next to wind and solar. If everything goes according to plan, they will come into operation between 2027 and 2029. At that time, wave energy will finally be able to contribute its grain of sand to the electrical grid. And the Swedish company does not stop there: its next C5 is already pending certification.
Yes, but. What has been certified is a prototype, not a device already manufactured in series, which is the next necessary step to produce on a large scale. And older plants such as Mutriku in Gipuzkoa (in operation since 2011), demonstrate This energy produces much less electricity than expected compared to wind or solar (its efficiency is 11%), so it remains to be known if these new parks will meet expectations.
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