The French company Seaturns has completed the positioning of its S1 device off the Gironde estuary. This deployment marks the start of an operational testing phase in the open sea that will last for a minimum period of twelve months.
Validation of offshore wave energy technology
Through this initiative, the company seeks to consolidate the reliability and competitiveness of its technological proposal ahead of its future commercial exploitation. The operational process involves the exhaustive collection of fundamental analytical data to obtain the technical certifications scheduled for 2027.
Regarding the chosen site, operations are taking place at a distance of 27.5 kilometers from the port of Le Verdon, under the coordination of the Grand Port Maritime de Bordeaux. This location offers an ideal environment due to the representativeness of its swell, which accurately simulates the rigorous conditions of commercial oceanic environments.
Consequently, the prototype will operate autonomously, dissipating the energy produced while integrated systems record critical metrics on turbine power and the stability of the floating structure. Simultaneously, a rigorous environmental monitoring plan will be implemented to constantly assess the installation’s impact on the surrounding marine ecosystem.
Strategic objectives of the oceanic campaign
The testing program is structured around four fundamental pillars aimed at reducing commercial risks:
- Validation of the dynamic behavior of the floating structure in real wave conditions.
- Optimization and design of operation and maintenance protocols in offshore environments.
- Confirmation of the operational performance and durability of the power take-off system.
- Collection of analytical variables necessary for industrial scaling and certification.
Furthermore, the development of this technical campaign is under the direct supervision of the Electricity Supply Board (ESB), Ireland’s leading energy corporation. Through this collaboration agreement focused on industrial innovation, ESB specialists will have immediate, real-time access to the system’s operational variables and performance balances.
Indeed, the involvement of an institutional player of this caliber validates the commercial interest in wave energy as a viable, scalable, and necessary energy vector to diversify the clean generation matrix. For Seaturns, this technical backing represents a high-value strategic asset before the opening of its next funding round planned for the first months of 2027.
It is worth noting that the Irish market has an estimated exploitation potential of 19 gigawatts, placing this alliance in a preferred position for the deployment of commercial infrastructure on the European Atlantic coast. ESB maintains constant monitoring of these emerging technologies in line with its corporate goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2040.
ESB engineering managers believe that the current trials directly address the sector’s most complex challenges. According to statements by specialist Cahir O’Neill, projects that optimally manage storm resistance and structural efficiency are decisive for transforming wave resources into a conventional supply source.
The technology firm’s commercial projections include the development of a first 2-megawatt pilot installation in Mauritius, which will serve as the operational base for a subsequent 10-megawatt commercial-scale deployment. With the validation of this data, Europe reaffirms its expertise in the wave energy segment, a market with an estimated resource exceeding 400 terawatt-hours per year.
Source and photo: Seaturns
