CorPower Ocean has resumed its deployment program for its first commercial scale C4 Wave Energy Converter, following a period where the Aguçadoura wave energy site in northern Portugal has been out of operation.

Earlier this year, CorPower Ocean identified cable damage at the offshore site. It initiated a series of operations to recover and refurbish the electrical export cable involving ROVs (Remote Operated Vehicles) and offshore construction vessels, which was successfully concluded in June. With the site infrastructure restored, CorPower Ocean has resumed the C4 deployment program by testing operational methods for connecting and disconnecting its C4 device. This follows the successful site installation of the UMACK anchor and subsea electrical export cables in mid-2022 and the completion of C4 assembly and successful Pre-Deployment Check (PDC) program at the quay-side launch pad in Viana do Castelo in December 2022.

During recent weeks innovative methods for pulling down and mating the C4 device to the UMACK anchor using a fully surface operated installation sequence have been verified. In the next phase of the program the C4 device will be taken through cycles of testing safety, control and grid functions, followed by first power export to the Portuguese grid.  

CorPower Ocean CEO Patrik Möller said: “We are pleased to progress the C4 deployment program, after having the Agucadoura site back in operation. Developing new and disruptive technology is an endurance sport and a discipline we have been honing through a carefully structured verification program for more than a decade. As we work to introduce a new power source to the world our everyday life consists of problem solving and removing various obstacles, both big and small. Often this involves auxiliary functions not directly related to the core technology, with the export cable being a recent example. We always try to plan for the un-plannable, and to be prepared to address new challenges along the way in a methodical manner."

CorPower Ocean is currently undergoing certification of the C4 technology with DNV – a leading supervisory to the global renewables industry – to ensure reliability of components and systems in the marine environment. For marine operation methods Global Maritime acts as Marine Warranty Surveyor on behalf of underwriters to ensure compliance with offshore standards.   

The CorPower C4 features solutions that make the device naturally protected from storms and advanced control technology to amplify power capture in regular ocean conditions. The interface to the anchor has quick connections for power export and data communication to an on-land substation, where a SCADA system is used for remote monitoring and control.

“Efficient operations and maintenance methods will be key for making wave energy a reliable and competitive energy source at a utility scale,” added Mr Möller. “The HiWave-5 demonstration project aims to bring wave power to a mainstream energy source, incorporating solutions that allow simple and efficient operation of wave energy farms.”

KeyFacts Energy Industry Directory: CorPower Ocean