Portugal’s Deputy Minister of Energy Jean Barroca, visited CorPower Ocean’s operational base in Viana do Castelo to witness first-hand how cutting-edge innovation, industrial capability, and the world’s first DNV certified wave energy technology are helping shape the future of renewable energy with Portugal as its cradle.
The Minister was joined by a delegation of senior government officials, regional stakeholders, and industry leaders for a tour of CorPower Ocean’s facilities, Including the composite winding cell, the assembly and test hall and the CorPower Ocean Control Centre.
CorPower Ocean has been developing its Portuguese operations since 2020 and is now progressing toward the deployment of VianaWave, a 15 MW wave energy farm off the northern Portuguese coast, to demonstrate the performance of the array at utility scale. The project builds on CorPower Ocean’s successful pilot demonstration in Portugal since 2023, where the company’s C4 wave energy device has proven it can deliver electricity while showing its ability to survive Atlantic storm conditions exceeding 18 meters.
A New Renewable Energy Industry for Portugal
CorPower Ocean aims to establish Portugal as a global leader in wave energy and position the country at the forefront of a new industrial sector expected to play a critical role in the energy resilience agenda, the electrification of Europe and the green transition.
Most of the value creation is expected to remain within Portugal through local manufacturing, marine operations, engineering services, installation activities, and long-term operations and maintenance. Approximately 75% of the project’s lifetime value is forecast to be spent in Portugal, supporting high-skilled jobs and strengthening the country’s renewable energy supply chain.
Unlike solar and wind, wave energy continues generating power around the clock and across seasons, providing a predictable, non-intermittent and complementary source of renewable electricity that can increase grid stability and reduce reliance on imported fossil fuels.
Speaking during the visit, Deputy Minister Barroca said: “We came to Viana do Castelo and to CorPower Ocean to really grasp what’s happening and to witness the amazing innovation and evolution in wave generation. Portugal is at the forefront of offshore wind generation but also wave generation and this real project with real implementation that is being built in Europe and assembled here in Portugal is something that we’re extremely proud of”. He continues:
“If we look towards Portugal, we’re a fairly small country but if we look towards Portugal in the offshore, we become one of the biggest countries in Europe. Therefore, taking advantage of this capacity that we’ve got towards the Atlantic Ocean is something extremely meaningful for our energy policy as well. I’m very impressed with what I saw today. It’s great to see that real things are happening and that this has evolved from a project to a reality and now is looking towards full-scale deployment.”
Manuel Costeira da Rocha, Managing Director Iberia, CorPower Ocean says: “Our ambition is to create a new and disruptive industrial cluster in Portugal. We believe it will be possible to develop additional wave energy projects in Portugal across multiple phases, reaching a capacity of over 350 MW within the next 10 years. This industrial activity will create many highly specialized jobs, in addition to strengthening the local supply chain! We are grateful for the strong support from Portuguese institutions, local partners and the communities of Póvoa do Varzim and Viana do Castelo.”
From Portugal to Global Deployment
The Portuguese project is part of a broader international expansion strategy that positions CorPower Ocean at the forefront of global wave energy.
In Scotland, the company is developing a 5 MW wave energy array at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney. Scheduled for deployment later this decade, the project is expected to become the UK’s largest wave energy array and will feature 14 wave energy converters manufactured with significant local content, creating skilled jobs and strengthening domestic supply chains.
Together, the projects in Portugal and Scotland are helping establish wave energy as an important new pillar of Europe’s clean energy system, enabling 24/7 clean, firm electricity and thus increased energy resilience, and a pathway toward greater energy independence.
