Global electricity demand is set to double by 2050, with 90% expected to be generated by RES. Solar PV, wind, and storage are essential but will be insufficient alone to achieve net-zero. With 60% of the global electricity generation today being still dependent on fossil fuels, accelerating the transition to net-zero requires a RES diversification able to supply 24/7 demand for electricity with 100% clean power. Wave energy could supply 10% of the worlds electricity demand, playing a crucial role in a balanced and cost-effective RES mix. However, this potential remains untapped. Historically, wave technologies have either broken in the harsh ocean conditions or have been too large and costly compared to their power output. This has resulted in setbacks related to perceived risk and bankability. Informed by 40 years of hydrodynamic research, CorPower Ocean developed and proven at TRL 7 a unique Wave Energy Converter (WEC) technology that makes devices naturally protected in storms and uses novel control technology that strongly amplifies the power capture in regular waves. This allows to deliver more than 5x as much power per amount of equipment compared to the previous state-of-the-art. High structural efficiency enables simple installation and effective O&M methods, providing a very competitive LCOE-curve to make wave energy a mainstream energy source in the coming years. We design, manufacture, and deliver our technology as CorPack wave clusters with 10-30MW capacity. CorPacks are building blocks that are laid out side-by-side to form utility-scale wave farms (100s of MW to GW-scale). Now, we seek blended support from the EIC to standardize our core WEC technology so it can scale up into wave farms and to develop the engineering package of the CorPack product. The EIC will help us become a turnkey supplier of wave energy systems, reach FID on our first wave farm projects, and support CorPowers ambitious target of installing 600MW of clean wave energy by 2030.

Global electricity demand is set to double by 2050, with 90% expected to be generated by RES. Solar PV, wind, and storage are essential but will be insufficient alone to achieve net-zero. With 60% of the global electricity generation today being still dependent on fossil fuels, accelerating the transition to net-zero requires a RES diversification able to supply 24/7 demand for electricity with 100% clean power. Wave energy could supply 10% of the world’s electricity demand, playing a crucial role in a balanced and cost-effective RES mix. However, this potential remains untapped. Historically, wave technologies have either broken in the harsh ocean conditions or have been too large and costly compared to their power output. This has resulted in setbacks related to perceived risk and bankability. Informed by 40 years of hydrodynamic research, CorPower Ocean developed and proven at TRL 7 a unique Wave Energy Converter (WEC) technology that makes devices naturally protected in storms and uses novel control technology that strongly amplifies the power capture in regular waves. This allows to deliver more than 5x as much power per amount of equipment compared to the previous state-of-the-art. High structural efficiency enables simple installation and effective O&M methods, providing a very competitive LCOE-curve to make wave energy a mainstream energy source in the coming years. We design, manufacture, and deliver our technology as CorPack wave clusters with 10-30MW capacity. CorPacks are building blocks that are laid out side-by-side to form utility-scale wave farms (100s of MW to GW-scale). Now, we seek blended support from the EIC to standardize our core WEC technology so it can scale up into wave farms and to develop the engineering package of the CorPack product. The EIC will help us become a turnkey supplier of wave energy systems, reach FID on our first wave farm projects, and support CorPower’s ambitious target of installing 600MW of clean wave energy by 2032.

WaveBoost aims at providing a step-change improvement to the reliability and performance of PTOs (Power-Take-Offs), by developing and validating an innovative braking module with a Cyclic Energy Recovery System (CERS). While built and tested on the platform of the existing CorPower technology, the CERS braking module can be integrated in many types of Wave Energy Converters (WECs). Especially for point absorbers - undisputedly the WEC type with best prospects for large-scale development - WaveBoost will solve a central reliability challenge, the so-called 'end-stop' problem (excessive, uncontrolled forces when linear movement reaches end of stroke). Further, dedicated reliability assessment methods will be developed and applied. CERS is an energy redistribution system that will allow WECs to absorb more energy from high energy wave cycles, temporarily storing excessive energy in the first step of the PTO chain, then releasing it for conversion through the remaining steps of the PTO in low energy wave cycles. Similar systems are being used in other sectors (e.g. automotive) but have not been applied to ocean energy. The additional damping force required to safely stop the motion of WECs in storm waves may be several times larger than the PTO force used to convert wave motion into electricity. By providing the extra damping needed from the CERS module, system survivability and reliability of critical components are significantly improved. Another consequence is a size reduction of the PTO for the same power rating, and an increase of the Annual Electricity Production (AEP). The technology allows WECS to operate at higher average loading, increasing average conversion efficiency. Further, the grid compliance of electricity produced is significantly improved through this new energy storage concept. The improvements described above are expected to significantly reduce shock loads on WECs, increase in AEP of 25% and reduce LCOE more than 30% compared to the state of art.

The SEA-TITAN project aims at making a step change in the wave energy sector by designing, building, testing and validating a crosscutting and innovative Direct Drive Power Take-Off (PTO) solution to be used with multiple types of wave energy converter. The design will be based on the existing Wedge Global W200 PTO prototype and will focus on augmenting its specific force density and efficiency to levels which can significantly increase the energy capture in many types of Wave Energy Converters. These enhancements will also solve one of the key issues with WEC PTO systems, namely achieving sufficiently high peak force to limit hitting end-stops during large waves whilst maintaining high efficiency and low cost for the average wave case. The performance and reliability demanded by wave energy systems exceeds the normal capabilities of commercial, off the shelf components commonly used in other industries. In the few cases where they are suitable, the costs often prove prohibitive. In addition, the lack of predominant PTO technology is causing a barrier to establishing a dedicated supply chain. Currently each original equipment manufacturer system has different requirements, and pursuing the development of bespoke components not only limits the utility of the end product but also multiplies the development costs. The objective of SEA TITAN proposal is to break this practice and to develop an optimized crosscutting power take-off based on the existing switched reluctance linear generator from Wedge Global with application to multiple systems through collaboration with multiple wave energy developers and an industrial partner with a strong track record on technology. In addition this proposal aims to offer the developed technology open source to promote update and accelerate innovation.

The VALID project will develop and validate a new test rig platform and procedures for accelerated hybrid testing that can be used across the wave energy sector to improve the reliability and survivability of the components and subsystems that form Wave Energy Converters (WECs). The methodology for accelerated hybrid testing combines both physical testing (physical test rigs) and virtual testing (simulated environment, numerical models and data). The VALID Hybrid Test Platform (VHTP) will become the interface that allows for seamless accelerated hybrid testing. With the long-term goal of establishing a standard for future use and making a step-change impact on the sector, the new test rig platform and methodology will be validated for a variety of WECs, critical components and subsystems through three different user cases. Often faults in component and subsystems are detected through extensive and costly sea testing in late stages of device development (high TRLs) and finding a problem at late development stages can add significant cost and delays to initial schedules, eventually leading to company’s bankruptcy. Sound testing methods are thus needed to reduce the uncertainties, increase confidence in results, assist and guide the concept and subcomponents design, and thus largely assist in the decision-making progress. The new hybrid testing platform with open access for models, testbeds and improved data management are all necessary to lower the cost on future technologies. VALID assembles the full value chain required from methodology and platform development (AVL, Aquatera), technology development (Corpower, IDOM, Wavepiston), LCOE (Julia F Chosaz Consult Engineering) to certification bodies (RINA-C) in order to develop an integrated solution with support from RTO (RISE, Tecnalia, Bimep) and academia (Aalborg University, TUDelft).