OES-Environmental distributes metadata forms (questionnaires) to solicit information from developers involved in environmental monitoring around marine renewable energy project sites around the world. This page provides project descriptions, baseline assessment, post-installation monitoring, and links to available data and reports. Content is updated on an annual basis.

CorPower Ocean HiWave-5 Project

Description

Economic growth, climate change and security of energy supply underscore the global need for locally produced renewable energy. The ocean forms one of the largest yet least explored renewable energy sources on earth. The HiWave-5 project aims at demonstrating breakthrough wave technology that can enable Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) competitive with established energy sources in the near future when deployed in moderate volumes. The project’s overall goal is to successfully demonstrate 3rd -party certified Wave Energy Converter (WEC) products that makes wave energy bankable in the market by 2027/2028, allowing end users to secure mainstream infrastructure/renewable energy project finance for pre-commercial arrays. This will be achieved through two stages: 

  1. Demonstration and prototype certification of single device full scale (C4) WEC 
  2. Demonstration and type certification of pilot array with three (C5) WECs. 

The project partners consider the Aguçadoura site in northern Portugal to be well suited for the demonstrations.
 

Location

The site is located approximately 5.5km offshore in Agucadoura, North of Porto, Portugal, (41.458744°, -8.842233°).

Licensing Information

The license process was submitted through DGRM - General-Directorate for Natural Resources, Security and Maritime Services. As an organization DGRM is the single point of contact for marine applications within Portugal, this agency then contacts other relevant national bodies which need to be involved in the consenting process. Successful completion of all steps within the process and the project deemed to meet the requirements to be issued consent and a TUPEM (Permits for Private Use of the National Maritime Space) document was issued by DGRM.

Grid reservation is assured, and production license is obtained for the 1,2MW and is valid up to 2030.

Project Progress

The initial project timeline is shown below, CorPower Ocean have taken a five-stage approach to commercializing wave energy, this began with small prototype validation tests at tank test scale, a third scale system test, a half scale device ocean deployment and stage 4 our HiWave-5 full scale ocean demonstration. Following a single device being put into operation, stage 5 is to install a further three devices. On completion of the array being validated we will then proceed to install multi megawatt farms on several sites around the world. 

Stage 4 and 5 demonstration phases project schedule
Stage 4 and 5 demonstration phases project schedule

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Phase 1 – C4 Full Scale Single device installed – Q3 2023-2026
Phase 2 – C5 Full Scale Multiple devices installed (up to four devices) – 2026/2027

Key Environmental Issues

The main potential environmental issues taken into consideration include but not limited to the following: 

  • Disturbance/Displacement of marine mammals and birds in the area.
  • Acoustic impact from increased vessel traffic onsite and other activities. 
  • Biofouling and non-native species introduction 
  • Habitat creation 
  • Habitat removal 

The above list are the key areas in which we have reviewed and included within our system design process, our goal is to minimize the impact on the natural environment and the animals within is whilst creating a cost-effective source of clean electrical power.

Papers, Reports, Research Studies

Environmental Monitoring: CorPower Ocean HiWave-5 Project

Phase Stressor & Receptor Design and Methods Results
Baseline Habitat Change

Physical Environment 		Seabed integrity inspection with ROV of seabed before and after pile install + intermittently during operation and after decommissioning. Performed under the SafeWave EMMF project.

https://www.safewave-project.eu/
ROV videos and footage taken during the cable layout campaign and pile installation. Shared to WavEC for analysis. 		Baseline data currently being analysed by WavEC and AZTI.
NA
Baseline Noise

Marine Mammals 		Underwater noise characterization of the WEC devices to understand their acoustic impacts. Performed under the SafeWave EMMF project.

https://www.safewave-project.eu/

Collected with three hydrophone devices located in different points within the project deployment area.

During the campaigns carried out, ambient noise levels, salinity and temperature profiles with depth, meteorological data and oceanographic data were monitored.

The monitoring period took place in the months of January and May 2022., with 48 hours for a continuous sampling.

This was one baseline monitoring period in HiWave-5 before the installation of the first C4 WEC (2023). 		First set of data from the 2022 Campaign have been analysed and Executive Summary report will be issued in Q1 2024.
During this initial campaign, natural sources of noise including the action of wind on the surface, breaking waves, water flow, rain, sediment movement and the presence of marine fauna were recorded. Anthropogenic noise sources such as maritime traffic, largely related to fishing activities, made significant contributions to noise in the area. The results reveal that the SPL (Sound Pressure Level) was similar between the January and May campaigns. In May, the predominant sources were those at lower frequencies up to 1kHz, such as distant maritime traffic. On the other hand, the contribution of marine traffic to ambient noise levels was lower in January, where cetacean vocalizations were more predominant sources of ambient noise.
Baseline Marine Mammals WavEC Environmental Monitoring Campaign The monitoring plan considers that visual and acoustic monitoring will be carried out, during a period of 4 years, starting one year before deployment and 3 years during the operation since the first device is operational.

The mammal monitoring campaigns carried out by WavEC during the period 2021-2024 are covered under the EU-SCORES H2020 project. See https://euscores.eu/
All to ISO9001

Acoustic monitoring Campaign (Mammal Noise)

The equipment used is F-POD, an autonomous datalogger for detection of cetacean spices. Two F-PODs are deployed in the site. One is located within the boundaries of our deployment area (impact area) and another is located at 1.5 km away (control area). Data from both are compared to assess the impacts of HiWave-5.

Monitoring took place from May to October 2022 in the Project area, and from July to October 2022 in the area adjacent to the Project 		First set of data from the 2022 Campaign have been analysed and Executive Summary report will be issued in Q1 2024.
Monitoring with F-Pods revealed that harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) and other cetaceans frequently utilise the area. As far as the studies were conducted, it was possible to conclude that temperature and season variations were the biggest drivers of animal distribution.
Baseline Marine Mammals WavEC Environmental Monitoring Campaign The monitoring plan considers that visual and acoustic monitoring will be carried out, during a period of 4 years, starting one year before deployment and 3 years during the operation since the first device is operational.

The mammal monitoring campaigns carried out by WavEC during the period 2021-2024 are covered under the EU-SCORES H2020 project. See https://euscores.eu/

https://www.safewave-project.eu/about-the-project/
All to ISO9001

Visual observation Campaign

Observers are certified as marine mammal observers or have experience as marine mammal observers proven by CV. Observers will use binoculars to confirm sightings details (e.g. number of animals, species).

Observations are carried out three times a year during the periods of April-May, June-August, October-November. They are conducted in the deployment site (impact area) and throughout several kilometers around (control area). Data from all observation methods is then compared to assess the impacts of HiWave-5. 		First set of data from the 2022 Campaign have been analysed and Executive Summary report will be issued in Q1 2024.
Through the visual surveys conducted over the two years of baseline monitoring, the common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) was the most sighted species. Less frequently observed species such as the risso’s dolphin (Grampus griseus) and the minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) were also sighted in the area. In general, the density of animals was constant throughout the years, and the number of sightings increased in the months of July. Although not frequently sighted in the visual surveys due to its elusive behaviour.
Post-Installation Monitoring Noise

Marine Mammals 		Underwater noise characterization of the WEC devices to understand their acoustic impacts. Performed under the SafeWave EMMF project.
Collected with two hydrophone devices located in different points within the project deployment area.

A monitoring period takes place both during spring/summer and autumn/winter seasons, with 48 hours for a continuous sampling.

There are two post operational monitoring periods in HiWave-5. One after the installation of the first C4 WEC (2023) and another after the entry into operation of the three C5 WECs (2026-2027). 		First installation of the WEC in Q3 2023 followed by 3 months of commissioning phase. Additional studies will take place from Q2 2025.
The wave energy devices showed no significant acoustic signature. However, as the duration of the campaign was approximately one week, this analysis should be taken as a first approximation knowing that the WEC went through its first commissioning phase, which means the data recorded are not representative of an operational mode of the WEC. More data is needed to draw significant conclusions.
Post-Installation Monitoring EMF

Fish, Marine Mammals 		Underwater and onshore EMF measurements performed on both the WEC umbilical and the seafloor cable. Performed under the SafeWave EMMF project.
No measurements could be performed. 		No measurements could be performed.
No measurements could be performed.
Post-Installation Monitoring Habitat Change

Marine Mammals 		Visual observation Campaign

Observers are certified as marine mammal observers or have experience as marine mammal observers proven by CV. Observers will use binoculars to confirm sightings details (e.g. number of animals, species).

In parallel to the officially approved methodology, the EU-SCORES project is introducing and demonstrating the use of human piloted drones in aerial inspection of mammals post-operation.
Observations are carried out three times a year during the periods of April-May, June-August, October-November. They are conducted in the deployment site (impact area) and throughout several kilometers around (control area). Data from all observation methods is then compared to assess the impacts of HiWave-5. 		First installation of the WEC in Q3 2023 followed by 3 months of commissioning phase. Additional studies will take place in Q2 2025.
The results obtained so far have allowed us to understand that the most abundant cetacean species in the study area was the common dolphin, having been sighted in all campaigns carried out. From the visual census data, it was possible to verify that the sighting rate and density were higher in July 2021, September 2023 in the impact area, and November 2023, preliminarily indicating that the presence of cetaceans in the study area is greater during the summer and autumn. The continuity of the monitoring program will allow for the establishment of more robust standards and conclusions, as well as dispelling preliminary conclusions inherent to the natural variability that occurs from year to year.
Post-Installation Monitoring Noise

Marine Mammals 		Acoustic monitoring Campaign (Mammal Noise).
The equipment used is F-POD, an autonomous datalogger for detection of cetacean species. Two F-PODs are deployed in the site. One is located within the boundaries of our deployment area (impact area) and another is located at 1.5 km away (control area). Data from both are compared to assess the impacts of HiWave-5. 		First installation of the WEC in Q3 2023 followed by 3 months of commissioning phase. Additional studies will take place in Q2 2025.
The acoustic monitoring data with F-Pods allowed obtaining complementary and more detailed data, in relation to the visual censuses. These sensors allowed us to confirm that the presence and duration of other cetaceans was greater than that of dolphins in the study area. Additionally, it was possible to identify that the presence of dolphins in the study area demonstrated significant differences with the monitoring year and sampling station, having increased throughout the year 2023. The continuity of the monitoring program will allow for the establishment of more robust standards and conclusions, as well as dispelling preliminary conclusions inherent to the natural variability that occurs from year to year.
Post-Installation Monitoring Displacement

Marine Mammals 		Visual observation Campaign

Observers are certified as marine mammal observers or have experience as marine mammal observers proven by CV. Observers will use binoculars to confirm sightings details (e.g. number of animals, species).

In parallel to the officially approved methodology, the EU-SCORES project is introducing and demonstrating the use of human piloted drones in aerial inspection of mammals post-operation.
Observations are carried out three times a year during the periods of April-May, June-August, October-November. They are conducted in the deployment site (impact area) and throughout several kilometers around (control area). Data from all observation methods is then compared to assess the impacts of HiWave-5. 		First installation of the WEC in Q3 2023 followed by 3 months of commissioning phase. Additional studies will take place in Q2 2025.
The results obtained so far have allowed us to understand that the most abundant cetacean species in the study area was the common dolphin, having been sighted in all campaigns carried out. From the visual census data, it was possible to verify that the sighting rate and density were higher in July 2021, September 2023 in the impact area, and November 2023, preliminarily indicating that the presence of cetaceans in the study area is greater during the summer and autumn. The continuity of the monitoring program will allow for the establishment of more robust standards and conclusions, as well as dispelling preliminary conclusions inherent to the natural variability that occurs from year to year.