CorPower Ocean has secured a €40m grant from the EU Innovation Fund to develop VianaWave, a 10MW pre-commercial wave energy farm off the coast of northern Portugal.
The project will consist of a CorPack array of 30 Wave Energy Converters (WECs), generating around 30GWh of electricity annually—enough to power 7,500 homes.
Set to begin operations in 2028 or 2029, VianaWave builds on CorPower’s HiWave-5 demonstrator and represents a shift from pilot testing to commercial rollout.
“This is a pivotal milestone for CorPower Ocean and the wave energy sector as a whole,” said CorPower Ocean commercial director Kevin Rebenius.
“VianaWave shows that wave energy is ready to scale. With strong support from the Innovation Fund and the Portuguese ecosystem, we are accelerating the transition to a sustainable, resilient energy system while delivering local economic value.”
VianaWave supports Portugal’s National Energy and Climate Plan goal of installing 200MW of wave capacity by 2030.
According to the EVOLVE study, Portugal has 15GW of wave potential, positioning the country to become a major renewable energy hub.
Around 75% of the project’s lifetime value is expected to be spent in Portugal, including investment in electrical infrastructure at Agucadoura and Póvoa de Varzim and the expansion of CorPower’s operational base at the Port of Viana do Castelo.
The project is also expected to stimulate industrial supply chains, create jobs, and support future clean energy investment.
