France-based Legendre Group has started constructing the first full-scale demonstrator for the Dikwe project in Boulogne-sur-Mer, northern France, in collaboration with GEPS Techno.
Supported by ADEME and the Région Hauts-de-France, the initiative aims to integrate wave energy generation into coastal protection infrastructure using oscillating panels, or “flaps,” mounted on breakwaters. These flaps are driven by the power of waves and are designed to convert their power into low-carbon electricity.
The demonstrator is scheduled for completion by the end of 2025.
After recognizing the potential of this technology, Legendre and GEPS Techno have decided to form a joint venture (JV), Wave-Op , to develop port infrastructure that can produce energy from wave activity.
“This demonstrator serves as a tangible example of a new generation of energy-producing port infrastructure,” Legendre UK said in a social media post.
The Dikwe project is being developed by a consortium of French companies , including Legendre Group, GEPS Techno, and Ifremer. The project is based around the concept of “a positive energy breakwater” with a dual purpose – to provide protection for the port and the coastline, while simultaneously exploiting the force of the waves to produce clean energy.
In 2022, the Dikwe project deployed a prototype breakwater equipped with wave energy converters (WECs) in Sainte Anne-du-Portzic, near Brest.
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