InnoEnergy portfolio company CorPower Ocean has secured the world’s first DNV Prototype Certificate for a Wave Energy Converter, marking an important step towards the commercial deployment of wave energy at scale.
The certification covers CorPower Ocean’s C4 Wave Energy Converter (WEC) and was awarded under DNV-SE-0120, the certification standard for wave energy converters and arrays. Following independent verification, DNV confirmed that the technology meets its requirements for structural strength, reliability and safety.
For CorPower Ocean, the milestone is the result of a seven-year certification process spanning the full development of the C4 system, from its initial design basis through detailed engineering, manufacturing and testing to installation, operation and performance in extreme sea conditions.
“This is a historic milestone, for CorPower Ocean and the sector. It moves wave energy from being a promising technology to being a proven and bankable one. I am immensely proud of our team for making CorPower the first wave energy technology to pass this bar,” says Patrik Möller, co-founder and CEO of CorPower Ocean.
Reducing risk on the path to commercial scale
Independent certification is an important step in the development of offshore energy technologies. By providing third-party verification of a technology’s design, performance and safety, it can help reduce risk for project developers, insurers and investors as projects move towards larger-scale deployment.
DNV’s certification standards already play an established role in the offshore wind industry. CorPower Ocean is the first wave energy company to achieve its Prototype Certificate for a WEC.
“Reaching this level of independent certification is a significant achievement, particularly for a technology operating in such a demanding environment,” says Magnus Lundin, Investment and Asset Management Director at InnoEnergy Scandinavia. “We have seen CorPower Ocean progress through years of rigorous technology development and validation. This milestone provides another important piece of evidence as the company moves towards industrial-scale projects and helps build confidence in wave energy as part of the future energy mix.”
From technology validation to industrial wave farms
The certification comes as CorPower Ocean advances its first two industrial wave farms in Portugal and Scotland.
Wave energy has long held significant potential as a complement to wind and solar. But translating that potential into commercially viable projects has required technologies capable of combining reliable energy generation with resilience in challenging ocean conditions.
CorPower Ocean’s technology is designed to address that challenge. Its C4 device has undergone extensive ocean testing, including operation in storm waves of up to 18.5 metres, as part of the certification process. This latest milestone marks another step in the company’s journey as it works to bring wave energy into the renewable energy mix at scale. Congratulations to the entire CorPower Ocean team on this achievement.
