Swedish developer CorPower Ocean has completed the first cycle of ocean commissioning program of its C4 wave energy device offshore Portugal, verifying all key aspects of the system and marking a ‘crucial milestone’ for the wider wave energy sector.
Now proven at commercial-scale, at the exposed Atlantic test site, CorPower Ocean’s C4 device has demonstrated its ability to tune and detune according to varying sea states, limiting response to extreme storm waves while amplifying motion and power capture in regular waves using novel phase control technology.
The progression marks a crucial milestone for wave energy addressing the two major obstacles which have hampered commercial adoption to date - survivability and efficient power generation in normal ocean conditions.
The inflection point provides a firm signal of wave energy’s readiness for widescale adoption, according to CorPower Ocean.
Since deployment in August 2023 at the Agucadoura site in northern Portugal, all key aspects of the C4 system functions have been successfully verified, including power export to grid, automated control and monitoring of the system as well as safe Operations and Maintenance (O&M) methods.
The collected data allowed calibration of the digital twin, an extensive numerical model used to predict the system behavior.
Measured motion and power output data from the machine operating with novel ‘WaveSpring’ phase control has slightly exceeded predictions by the digital twin for the machinery settings used.
During the demonstration, power export up to 600kW peak power has been recorded. CorPower Ocean said that the configuration of the electrical drive train has been found to limit peak power to about 600kW.
Therefore, the company plans to implement cycle adjustments to the drive train during the first on-land maintenance, aiming to increase power capacity towards 850kW.
The first operational phase has been successfully concluded by disconnecting and towing the C4 device back to CorPower Ocean’s on-land base in Viana do Castelo for its first planned maintenance cycle.
The demonstration of efficient O&M methods is a key goal of the C4 deployment program, to support scale-up to utility scale wave farms in the future, the company said.
After completing a first on-land check-up and maintenance cycle, C4 will be re-deployed at the Agucadoura site, and the demonstration program will be continued.