France: Fortum, DCNS, AW-Energy Cooperate on Wave Power Demonstration Project

Fortum, DCNS and AW-Energy signed a development agreement in wave power research and development with the support of La Région Bretagne. As part of the agreement, the companies will develop a joint 1.5 MW wave power demonstration project. The wave power technology chosen for the project is WaveRollerTM.

Fortum will be responsible for the project development and will be the owner of the demonstration park. DCNS will manage the site development and construction work. The WaveRollerTM technology chosen for this project was developed by AW-Energy and is extensively patented. At the cutting edge of wave power, the WaveRollerTMoffers huge perspectives on an international scale. La Région Bretagne believes that this project is important for the local economy and industrial development. All parties involved see significant opportunities for long-term growth in wave energy.

The agreement signed by Fortum, DCNS and AW-Energy is an extension to the wave power research and development collaboration initiated in 2011 by DCNS and Fortum.

“This demonstration project is an ingenious European industrial match combining the best of Finnish and French expertise in renewable energy. For the very first time, we can now bring together Fortum’s expertise in CO2 free power production, DCNS industrial expertise in marine energy, AW-Energy’s technology solution and the commitment of La Région Bretagne. Together, we can truly create new renewable energy for Europe” declared Matti Ruotsala, Fortum’s Executive Vice President, Power Division.

“Wave power is an important part of DCNS development of sustainable energy solutions. This far-reaching agreement is a strong commitment to participate in the development of WaveRollerTM. By investing our know-how in this cooperation we aim at securing our position in the emerging marine renewable market”, said Thierry Kalanquin, Senior Vice-President Services and Marine Energy, DCNS.

“This is an important milestone towards the commercialization of the WaveRollerTM technology. The long-term agreement paves the way for making WaveRollerTM an economically feasible solution to produce blue energy worldwide. Wave energy is indeed the world’s densest renewable energy sources, with huge power generating potential. We are excited to be able to take advantage of the excellent skills of our partners,” added John Liljelund, CEO of AW-Energy.

“Marine renewable energies offer an important industrial opening for Brittany and we intend to make the most of this. A race against the clock has begun, with major projects expected in the next few years. WaveRollerTMoffers Brittany an exceptional opportunity to play a driving role in the creation of a new industry”, declared Dominique Ramard, Vice President Energy, Bretagne Region.

Press Release, September 19, 2013