New consortium sets sights on smarter anchoring for floating wind and wave energy

The Netherlands-based Dieseko Group and Swedish wave energy developer CorPower Ocean have formed a consortium to launch VibroDrive+, a research project aimed at advancing offshore anchor technology through improved design and installation methods. 

Backed by €400,000 in Eureka Eurostars funding, the project will combine Dieseko’s vibro hammer systems with CorPower Ocean’s anchor concepts to support more efficient deployment of marine energy and floating wind infrastructure.

The project is tied to the wider rollout of CorPower Ocean’s wave energy arrays within and near offshore wind farms. These anchors form the basis for large-scale electricity generation from waves, helping stabilize offshore renewable output when wind production decreases.

According to CorPower Ocean, the collaboration will focus on further optimisation of the UMACK anchor, a universal anchor system developed for marine energy and floating offshore applications. By integrating Dieseko’s vibratory installation technology, the partners aim to reduce installation time, lower environmental impact, and drive down the levelized cost of energy (LCOE).

Laboratory testing is scheduled to begin on December 1 at the IWES Fraunhofer Institute in Hannover. According to the Swedish company, the program includes multiple UMACK installation trials alongside static and cyclic load tests to assess how vibratory techniques influence anchor performance and predictability across varied seabed conditions.

“The UMACK pile anchor has been proven at full scale in Aguacadoura providing station keeping to the CorPower C4 Wave Energy Converter since 2021,” said VibroDrive+ Project Manager Matt Dickson.

“Able to provide >20MN of uplift holding capacity at only 35t of pile mass, the UMACK anchor offers a step change in reduced foundation package costs, and therefore LCOE, for wave, floating offshore wind and other floating structures projects around the globe. The use of vibrohammer technology is also key for projects to reduce environmental impacts during installations via both significantly reduced noise emissions and time/cost of pile installation.”

The companies first worked together in 2021 when CorPower Ocean’s UMACK anchor was installed in Portugal using Dieseko’s 500MU vibratory hammer. VibroDrive+ marks the next phase in their efforts to refine and scale anchor solutions for offshore renewables.

“The continued development of this technology through the VibroDrive+ project marks a significant milestone toward large-scale commercial deployment which is exciting for all involved parties,” noted Dieseko Group Project Manager Anro Olivier.

“Our longstanding partnership with CorPower reflects Dieseko’s confidence in the technology and its ability to deliver opportunities for sustained cooperation in the long term.”

In September, CorPower Ocean completed a geophysical survey offshore Aguçadoura, northern Portugal, which supports the demonstration of its C5 wave energy technology and prepares the groundwork for the planned 10 MW project.

UMACK anchor technology, developed by a European consortium led by CorPower, has demonstrated 3-5 times the holding capacity of traditional pile-type anchors. According to CorPower, the system is designed to lower costs and carbon impacts compared to monopile and gravity foundations, and can be applied to wave energy, floating offshore wind, and aquaculture.