Demonstration project

CorPower Ocean’s flagship HiWave-5 project is the result of a decade of intense product development and three decades of research on wave hydrodynamics. Driven by one of the world’s largest and most experienced wave energy teams, it marks a final push towards commercialisation as part of a broader mission to make wave energy competitive with wind and solar by 2030.

In collaboration with the Portuguese electricity company EDP, the landmark project will see CorPower’s first commercial-scale C4 Wave Energy Converter deployed off the coast of Agucadoura, northern Portugal in 2021. This will later form part of a larger four-system WEC array, and one of the world’s first active wave farms generating energy to the grid. HiWave-5 aims to deliver certified and warrantied WEC products to the market by 2024, propelling wave energy into the future green energy mix as a bankable technology.

 
Supported by NORTE2020
 

HiWave-5 is supported by a purpose-built €16m R&D, Manufacturing and Service Centre located in the Port of Viana do Castelo. This facility will further ensure long-term development of supply and service capacity for commercial wave energy farms. Stages 4 and 5, which started in mid-2018, build on the success of the Stage 3 program HiWave-3.

The final trajectory involves a structured product verification and certification process:

• Stage 4 – Demonstration and prototype certification of a single full scale ’C4’ WEC, planned for 2018-2021.
• Stage 5 – Demonstration and type certification of pilot array with three full scale ’C5’ WECs, planned for 2022-2023.

CorPower´s next generation C4 WECs feature several key innovations including advanced control technology allowing large amounts of energy to be harvested using small, low-cost devices. A unique storm proof design further enhances robustness and survivability in challenging ocean conditions.