Seaturns' milestones

Seaturns Ready to Go to Scale 1: A Crucial Step Towards Harnessing Wave Energy

Seaturns has taken a decisive step in the development of its wave technology. After 18 months of intensive testing, the French start-up is now ready to go to scale 1.

Since October 2023, Seaturns has been testing its prototype on a reduced scale at Ifremer’s Saint-Anne du Portzic site in Brest. This sea trial validated the robustness of the solution in real-life conditions, with a 3-meter-long prototype equipped with an electricity-generating air turbine. The system was subjected to powerful waves, extreme weather conditions and even storm Ciarán, proving the technology’s resilience to the elements.

This test phase demonstrated the solution’s ability to transform wave motion into electricity, via a cylindrical float and an air turbine powered by a water pendulum and air tanks. The results obtained, with energy production measured and exported to land, reinforce the suitability of the solution for large-scale operation.

The project is part of a drive to accelerate innovation in renewable energy, with full-scale trials scheduled for 2025 at SEM-REV, a research laboratory dedicated to marine energies. This crucial next step will confirm the system’s performance and validate its offshore operation.

Thanks to its optimized design, simplified manufacturing and reduced environmental impact, Seaturns is establishing itself as a key player in the marine renewable energy sector, contributing to the energy transition.

Tank tests in Nantes: A new stage in wave energy with Seaturns (2024)

In April 2024, Seaturns is continuing its wave energy trials by testing a farm at the wave and ocean engineering basin of the LHEEA (Laboratoire de recherche en Hydrodynamique, Énergétique et Environnement Atmosphérique) at the École Centrale de Nantes. These tests, which follow on from those carried out in 2023, aim to validate the 1/15-scale multi-float configuration, a crucial step for the future deployment of wave farms at sea.

This phase of testing focuses on analyzing the performance and durability of five floats installed on a single anchor line. This test represents a significant step forward in the development of this innovative technology, which could well become a key player in the energy transition.

All these tests are part of the IAS-WEC project, which in July 2023 won the i-Nov competition organized by Bpifrance and ADEME. This project is financed by the French government, as part of France2030, and by the European Union via the Next Generation EU plan, illustrating the commitment of public authorities to supporting renewable energy solutions.

This marks an important milestone for Seaturns, in line with its objective of making wave energy a reliable and sustainable solution for the future of energy.

Sea trials at Sainte-Anne du Portzic: Seaturns reaches a new milestone (2023-2025)

In October 2023, Seaturns launched its sea trials of a 1/4-scale demonstrator, installed at Ifremer’s sea trials site in Sainte-Anne du Portzic, near Brest. These tests, which will run until early 2025, aim to validate the prototype’s performance and reliability under real marine conditions, a key step in the development of this wave-powered technology.

Conducted in partnership with Ifremer, these tests represent a strategic phase in Seaturns’ roadmap, aimed at proving the effectiveness and durability of its solutions in an operational environment.

These tests are also part of the IAS-WEC project, winner of the i-Nov competition in July 2023, organized by Bpifrance and ADEME. Funded by the French government via the France2030 program and the European Union as part of the Next Generation EU plan, this project underlines the commitment of public authorities to supporting the development of innovative renewable energy solutions.

With these sea trials, Seaturns continues to assert its role in the energy transition, paving the way for wave farms that could soon transform wave energy into a reliable and sustainable source of electricity.

Sea trials in Nantes : A breakthrough for wave energy with Seaturns (2023)

In February 2023, Seaturns carried out two weeks of tests in the wave and ocean engineering basin of the LHEEA (Laboratoire de recherche en Hydrodynamique, Énergétique et Environnement Atmosphérique) at the École Centrale de Nantes. These tests have enabled us to create reference power matrices essential for assessing energy performance, and to analyze different survival configurations in extreme sea conditions.

These tests, crucial for validating the capabilities of Seaturns’ wave technology, were financed by the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region as part of an R&D start-up innovation support contract. This collaboration highlights the region’s commitment to supporting technological innovation and sustainable energy solutions.

These results pave the way for significant advances in the development of more efficient wave farms, resilient to severe marine conditions.

Dock trials in Nantes: A breakthrough for wave energy with Seaturns (2023)

These results pave the way for significant advances in the development of more efficient wave farms, resilient to severe marine conditions.

Dock trials in Santander : Seaturns reaches a new R&D milestone (2021)

In May-June 2021, Seaturns carried out two weeks of tests at the Cantabria Coastal and Ocean Basin, the wave basin of IH Cantabria in Spain. These tests enabled a 1:10 scale wave motor prototype to be tested, marking a major step forward in Seaturns’ R&D program. At this scale, the team was able to evaluate the performance of an energy-harvesting turbine and mooring systems representing current offshore industry practice.

These tests were made possible by the provision of the basin by the European Union, as part of the MaRINET2 program, underlining institutional support for the development of offshore renewable energy technologies. This important milestone paves the way for more robust and efficient solutions for harnessing wave energy.

Wave tank tests in Porto: Seaturns optimizes wave technology (2020)

In November 2020, Seaturns carried out two weeks of tests in the University of Porto’s wave basin. The aim of these trials was to optimize the system’s performance and evaluate the technology’s behavior in a multi-float configuration, under various sea conditions. The team also tested the prototype’s resistance to extreme waves and various incidents, simulating survival conditions at sea.

These trials were made possible thanks to the provision of the basin by the European Union, as part of the Interreg Atlantic Area PORTOS Project. This institutional support contributes to the validation of Seaturns’ wave technology, with a view to its large-scale deployment for more reliable and efficient renewable energy.

Tank tests in Aalborg: Seaturns perfects its wave technology (2020)

In February-March 2020, Seaturns carried out two weeks of trials in the wave basin at Aalborg University, Denmark. The aim of these tests was to optimize the system’s performance and gain a better understanding of the float’s behavior in different sea conditions. The prototype’s resistance to extreme waves (survival waves) was also tested, as was the operation of two floats associated on the same anchor line.

These tests were financially supported by the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, while the European Union provided the basin as part of the MaRINET2 program. This institutional support enabled Seaturns to validate its technology in a variety of maritime conditions, strengthening its position in the development of sustainable energy solutions from waves.

Proof of concept in Nantes: Validation of Seaturns’ wave power potential (2017)

In 2017, tests carried out at the LHEEA Centrale Nantes wave basin demonstrated that the Seaturns concept is capable of absorbing a large proportion of incident wave energy and converting it into pneumatic power. This proof-of-concept phase was a success, with a capture width ratio in excess of 20%, a performance that can easily be optimized through future studies.

This first success in the development of Seaturns’ wave technology has paved the way for further advances in research and optimization of systems to harness wave energy more efficiently.