Seaturns Launches Full-Scale Wave Energy Demonstrator

French marine renewable energy firm Seaturns has commenced an offshore trial campaign of at least 12 months following the successful deployment of its full-scale wave energy demonstrator off the Gironde estuary on the French Atlantic coast.

The deployment of the S1 demonstrator marks a first for France and serves as a critical de-risking milestone on the company’s path to achieving technology certification and commercial deployment by 2027. Ireland’s foremost energy company, ESB, will monitor the trial period under an industrial innovation collaboration, providing Seaturns with an industry perspective from one of Europe’s most respected energy utilities.

Vincent Tournerie, Founder and Chairman of Seaturns, commented, “The installation of this first full-scale demonstrator marks the culmination of more than ten years of research and development by the Seaturns team. From the outset, we have followed a rigorous, step-by-step technology validation program, progressing successively through testing at scales of 1/30, 1/10, and 1/4 in collaboration with European universities and Ifremer, before reaching full scale today. Each phase has validated the performance and reliability of the technology under increasingly representative operational conditions.

“In a relatively short timeframe and with well-managed resources, we have successfully deployed our first full-scale demonstrator at sea. This milestone demonstrates the relevance of our technological approach, founded on simplicity, robustness, and industrial competitiveness, and marks a pivotal step towards commercialization.”

The trials are being conducted 27.5 kilometers away from the Port of Le Verdon in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, within the jurisdiction of the Grand Port Maritime de Bordeaux (GPMB), which is providing institutional and technical support throughout this phase. This location was selected for the quality and representativeness of its wave conditions relative to real offshore operating environments, while offering excellent logistical access for marine operations. The demonstrator operates off-grid, meaning the produced energy is dissipated; however, full turbine output data and floater behavior monitoring data will be collected throughout to form the evidentiary basis for technology certification. An environmental impact monitoring program will also run for the full duration of the trials.

The primary objectives of the trial campaign are to validate the dynamic behavior of the floater under real sea conditions, develop and refine offshore operations and maintenance procedures, confirm the reliability and performance of the power take-off (PTO) system, and collect the data required for technology certification and industrialization. Sea trial results are expected to support technology certification by mid-2027, with data directly informing the industrialization roadmap and the commercial development of Seaturns’ first 2 MW pilot project in Mauritius—a world first for the wave energy sector—with a pathway to a 10 MW commercial project.

“The deployment of our full-scale wave energy demonstrator is a key milestone for Seaturns, and a first in France. The floater is fully instrumented and subject to comprehensive operational monitoring covering the principal performance criteria for marine energy technologies. Installation was carried out in two stages — the laying of the mooring line, followed by connection of the floater, which is now fully operational. We monitor its performance in real time using onboard data, correlated with wave conditions measured by a wave buoy. Over an 18-month period, these trials will enable us to demonstrate the performance, reliability and viability of our technology, whilst progressing towards certification and commercialization,” said Arthur Chauliac, Trials Manager of Seaturns.

Under the industrial collaboration, ESB will monitor the key stages of the deployment and offshore trials, gaining access to technical data and live performance results under real operational conditions. For Seaturns, the partnership represents a significant commercial signal, reflecting a growing institutional appetite for wave energy as a bankable, scalable renewable technology, and reinforcing the potential investment case ahead of the company’s planned fundraising round in early 2027. Seaturns is targeting this fundraising round to finance its progression from TRL 6 to TRL 8, support the industrialization of its equipment, and advance project development toward commercialization.

Ireland holds one of the largest exploitable wave energy resources in Europe, with potential up to 19 GW according to the Evolve project, while the SEAI Offshore Renewable Energy Technology Roadmap (2024) outlines a significant wave energy scenario with 4 GW deployed by 2050. ESB has been systematically monitoring the wave energy technology landscape for a number of years as part of its Net Zero by 2040 strategy, and Seaturns was notably identified in the ESB emerging technology insights 2025 report. Both companies view this collaboration as an opportunity to accelerate the development and adoption of wave energy as a competitive and viable renewable energy source, laying the groundwork for future commercial deployment, particularly in the Irish market.

Cahir O’Neill, Emerging technology specialist, adds, “ESB are actively monitoring wave energy demonstrations progressing across a number of technologies in several European countries. The leading projects, including Seaturns, are addressing some of the fundamental challenges to make wave energy a mainstream energy source including storm survivability and structural efficiency. These challenges are critical to unlocking significant energy potential on the Atlantic coast of Ireland and Europe.”

Europe currently leads global wave energy technology development, with an estimated resource of over 400 TWh per year. With a validated full-scale demonstrator now operational at sea, Seaturns is positioned to become one of the first wave energy companies globally to achieve technology certification and move into commercial deployment, representing a significant value inflection point for the company.