Construction of the first full-scale breakwater system for harbors that doubles as a wave-based energy generator has begun in Boulogne-sur-Mer, northern France. The project is a collaborative effort between French institutes Ifremer and GEPS Techno, with construction responsibilities being handled by UK-based Legendre Group.
In a bid to move away from fossil fuels, scientists are looking for cleaner approaches to meeting our energy demands. While wind and solar power projects are being scaled up, they also have intermittency issues, where power production stops when the sun does not shine, or the wind does not blow.
Alternate renewable energy technologies such as tidal and wave energy generators tap into more consistent energy sources. Interesting Engineering has previously reported how different designs of wave energy generators are being trialed in various parts of the world.
One such project is Dikwe, which serves the dual purpose of safeguarding coastlines as well as generating clean energy.
What is Dikwe?
Dikwe is designed to be an ‘energy-positive’ breakwater system. Large vessels parked in the shallow waters of harbors need protection from powerful waves. Similarly, coastlines undergo constant erosion and need to be protected as infrastructure is built close to them.
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Breakwaters are manmade structures that protect against currents and tide surges. These structures have been built since antiquity, but have always served a single purpose. With Dikwe, researchers have added a low-carbon energy generation system to the breakwater, making it energy-positive.
The energy generation system comprises a flap that oscillates with the incoming waves. The flap is connected to an energy capture device that converts wave energy into electricity.
The concept was first developed at ifremer, the French institute for marine research and then developed over a decade to reach its full-scale demonstrator level.
The Dikwe wave energy-generating system is in action off the coast of France. Image credit: ifremer
Prototype to full-scale demonstrator for wave energy generation
In 2012, GEPS Techno approached Ifremer for its expertise in marine research to develop an energy-generating device that does not harm the marine ecosystem. With technical input from Ifremer, GEPS Techno first developed the Dikwe energy harvester concept digitally before hitting the waters with a prototype.
The first tests were carried out with a 1/15th scale prototype at Ifremer’s Deep Wave test facility in Brest; over the years, the project was scaled up, and a 1/4th scale prototype at nearly 15 feet (4.5 m) was tested in July 2022, with Ifremer handling the wave measurements.
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Following the success of the tests, Legendre Group teamed up with GEPS Techno in a joint venture dubbed Wave-Op that works to use port infrastructure to generate energy as well.
“This strategic entity aims to develop solutions that protect coastlines while recovering wave energy,” the joint venture said in a press release. “It will be a central player in the deployment of Dikwe technology on port breakwaters while paving the way for new applications.”
Legendre Group is now constructing a full-scale technology demonstrator in Boulogne-sur-Mer in northern France. “This demonstrator serves as a tangible example of a new generation of energy-producing port infrastructure,” the company said in a social media post.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ameya Paleja Ameya is a science writer based in Hyderabad, India. A Molecular Biologist at heart, he traded the micropipette to write about science during the pandemic and does not want to go back. He likes to write about genetics, microbes, technology, and public policy.
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