Category: <span>Project</span>

Aura wave power, calwave, tahiti, démonstrateur, polynesie française, emr Press release

Press release: a first step towards the decarbonization of…

  • 26 March 202428 March 2024
  • by ysemd

A first step towards the decarbonization of French Polynesia’s energy thanks to two wave energy demonstrators – the MOU is signed !

Ys (project developer), Azura Wave Power and CalWave (the two technology developers) have signed a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding to launch two wave energy demonstrators in Tahiti. The objective is to prove that it is possible to produce carbon-free electricity thanks to the force of Polynesian waves and make French Polynesia more energy self-sufficient.

Energy self-sufficiency is paramount for island territories

French Polynesia is an archipelago of 118 islands on an area as large as the Europe. Approximately 64 % of the electricity used comes from imported fossil fuels (Energy balance of French Polynesia Edition 2022). Shipping generates high level of pollution and significantly increases costs. « Some faraway islands are supplied only few times a year and the cost of electricity production can reach up to 1000€ per MWh », says Corinne DUBOIS, president of Ys.

The development of renewable energies is essential to stabilize costs and make the territory more energy self-sufficient and resilient. Wave energy could offer a new perspective in the energy transition in these isolated territories.

2 technology developers retained on the 11 applications

Born from an idea of the University of French Polynesia, at the end of 2021, the TWEC (Tahiti Wave Energy Challenge) project was selected and presented at the Blue Climate Summit in May 2022.

Its form evolved since then and the new demonstrator project has been taken over by Ys Energies Marines Developpement to carry it out until its completion in co-construction with the local population.

The objective of the demonstrators is to prove in real conditions that it is possible to produce electricity from wave energy to collect initial feedback on the particular context of the territory and its inhabitants. In the summer of 2022, Ys launched a Call for Expressions of Interest to international wave technology developers. 

« We received 11 applications », explains Bruno LEMORT, Technical and Operations Director at Ys Energies Marines Developpement. This was follow by a pre-selection process through workshops with the builders: « we had to ensure that the technologies were adapted to the approached areas to carry out this first installation.”

Indeed, with more than a hundred wave energy developers worldwide and almost as many technologies, it was necessary to verify the compatibility of technologies with the Polynesian environment: depth, inclination, typology of the seabed (volcanic rock, corals), distance to the coast.

Following these exchanges, Azura Wave Power and CalWave were definitively selected to deploy their wave production unit.

About CalWave

CalWave, wane energy, houlomoteur, Ys, EMR, energies marines, technologie

Picture :CalWave x1 off San Diego in 2021– by CalWave Power Technologies Inc.

CalWave is a California-based wave energy technology OEM.

CalWave demonstrated its system offshore San Diego, CA from September 2021 to July 2022 and is contracted by the US DOE to deploy a utility grid-connected system at the 20 MW PacWave test site off the central Oregon coast.

The company plans to offer its solution with isolated coastal communities around the world to lower energy costs, build energy independence, and unlock the ability to achieve a fully clean power supply.

About Azura Wave Power

Azura Wave Power, wave energy, houlomoteur, Ys, EMR, energies marines, technologie

Picture :Azura during a deployment at the US Navy’s Wave Energy Test Site (WETS) off the Marine Corps Base Hawaii by Azura Power

New-Zealand based Azura Wave Power have developed the Azura Ocean Wave Converter technology for converting the endless supply of ocean wave into electricity and potable water. The Azura device has previously undertaken a number of deployments in New Zealand, at the PAC Wave test facility off the coast of Oregon USA and most recently an 18-month grid connected trial at US Navy’s Wave Energy Test Site (WETS) in Hawaii.

Government and local stakeholders support the TWEC project

“The new TWEC will be a true live demonstration that will highlight the untapped potential of the force of the waves in this area of the world. The results could develop a local energy, sized to the needs of the territory and generating jobs linked to the ocean. One more step towards the self-sufficiency in Polynesia“, explains Corinne DUBOIS.

The final site of this demonstration will be decided in consultation with the various potential municipalities studied by Ys.

After this demonstration, the site can be used for training purposes for future local wave energy operators.

The Polynesian Government has given its support to the project. In a letter addressed to Ys, Tevaiti-Ariipaea POMARE, Minister for the Economy, Budget and Finance, in charge of energy, encourages the initiative “likely to contribute to the development of renewable energies in Polynesia“.

Mauna REVEIL, project manager in charge of French Polynesia and based in Tahiti, is already studying the pre-feasibility of wave energy installations in the five archipelagos of French Polynesia.

Carte polynésie française, europe

Photo:French Polynesia, a territory almost as vast as Europe – projection of Mercator by Jean-Christophe Gay, Géoconfluences, 2022

Port du croisic, ocean, mer, loire-atlantique, 44, bateau Project

Call for projects won ” Pays de la Loire…

  • 24 January 202424 January 2024
  • by ysemd

Winner of the call of projects

In 2022, the Pays de la Loire Region launched a call for projects on the following theme: « Innovative marina». They wanted to develop the ports so that they could adapt to new uses and new recreational practices (more frequent rentals, demand for additional services, electric boats under development, etc.).

As part of the decarbonization of ports, Ys Energies Marines Développement has suggested a pre-feasibility study of the potential of marine energies (marine currents and waves) on 5 ports of the Loire-Atlantique : Piriac-sur-Mer, La Turballe, Pornic, Le Croisic and La Baule – Le Pouliguen.

We were delighted to learn in November 2022 that our application had been accepted !

A year later, where is the project ?

Since then and thanks to the financial support of the Pays de la Loire Region, we have conducted numerous studies on different criteria that must be taken into account :

  • Bathymetry : the depth of the seabed,
  • Sedimentology : the nature of the seabed,
  • Modelling of available resources : current speeds, wave heights and frequency,
  • Environmental zoning and existing uses,
  • The most suitable technologies,
  • Relevance and energy need that could be covered, etc.

In the current state of our knowledge, the studies revealed the important potential of the port of Le Croisic for the installation of a EMR system (Marine Renewable Energies). Therefore, we chose to focus only on this port for the rest of the studies.

The next step : bringing together the actors of a potential project at Le Croisic

One of the fundamental pillars of Ys Energies Marines Développement is to create participative projects. We are convinced that projects co-constructed with local actors will be much more relevant. That is why we integrate the various stakeholders as soon as possible.

In the coming weeks, we will continue our meetings with local stakeholders (institutions, associations, users, etc.) to inform them and work together on the project.

An exciting project that we look forward to continuing in 2024 !



Ys Energies Marines Developpement, lauréate de l’AMI Economie Bleue des Sables d’Olonne Project

Ys, winner of the Sables d’Olonne Blue Economy call…

7th July 2023, Ys Energies Marines Developpement won the “Blue Economy: Maritime Innovation takes shape in Sables d’Olonne” call for expression of interest. Ys carried out a pre-feasibility study for a wave energy project in Sables d’Olonne, with its partner Créocéan, and got the jury’s support.

The call for expression of interest was launched in February 2023 by the Pôle Mer Bretagne Atlantique, Les Sables-d’Olonne Développement, the Vendée Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Comité Régional des Pêches et des Elevages Marins (COREPEM), the CEA, BPI Pays de la Loire, ADEME Pays de la Loire, the Pays de la Loire Region and Banque Populaire Grand Ouest. 15 compagnies candidated. Ys is one of the 3 winners. “The theme corresponds perfectly to our business, so it was obvious for us to apply for it”, comments Bruno LEMORT, Ys Technical Director.

Ys will be in charge of assessing the wave energy potential and characterising the sites geophysics, while Créocéan will be analysing the environmental and user issues.

Projet INTERREG Caraïbes Project

INTERREG Caribbean project: 2 days of restitution on the…

27th and 30th June 2023, respectively in Guadeloupe and Saint-Lucia, Eastern Caribbean actors discovered whether tidal and wave energies were relevant for their territory.
Ys Energies Marines Développement was present, alongside its partners, to present study results.

Interreg MRE Caribbean
Ys and its Interreg MRE Caribbean partners

Its’ been a few months now that the “ Interreg MRE Caribbean Project” consortium has been studying the potential of marine renewable energies in the Caribbean as part of the INTERREG Caribbean program. EKWA Consulting, Hill & Hill, David A. Simmons & Associates, Meteolien, Mariteam and YS Energies Marines Developpement have combined their know-how to study the feasibility of deploying tidal and wave technologies in the Eastern Caribbean. Objective: explore new virtuous and sustainable sources of energy.

On 27th and 30th June 2023, in Guadeloupe and Saint-Lucia, local authorities, businesses, citizens and students carefully followed the study restitution and participated in the round tables proposed. Followed officials spoke to introduce the event:

• Carmen MARQUES RUIZ, Ambassador of the European Union Climate Pact,

• Melford NICHOLAS, Minister of Information, Communication Technology (ICT), Utilities and Energy of Antigua Barbuda,

• Régis ELBEZ SGAR, sub-prefect of Guadeloupe,

• Brian CHALLENGER, Ambassador of Antigua Barbuda,

• Sylvie VANOUKIA, President of the Guadeloupe Region Energy Commission,

• Judith EPHRAIM, Program Coordinator, Sustainable Energy Unit at the Commission of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States,

• James FLETCHER, Chairman of the Board of the Caribbean Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (CCREEE),

• Fabian LEWIS, Public Services Officer, Ministry of Infrastructure, Ports, Energy and Labor of Saint Lucia

Encouraging results

This study allowed:

  • identify 4 wave energy pilot sites in Guadeloupe, Saint-Lucia, Martinique and Antigua;
  • to propose different contractual and financial schemes for projects by involving all the stakeholders;
  • make recommendations to continue identified projects development (consultation, on-site measurements, in-depth studies, etc.);
  • to define professional training programs in the blue energy professions;
  • to propose inclusive and participatory governance mechanisms involving local authorities, users and affected populations (fishing sector, port sector, etc.);
  • to identify regional cooperation mechanisms between the different territories of the Eastern Caribbean on the technical, technological, academic, institutional and legal levels.

Increase in energy independence

Energy in the Caribbean relies heavily on imported fossil fuels. To give an example, Guadeloupe’s dependence on imported fuels (oil, fuel oil, coal, butane) is 93% (source: OREC Guadeloupe – 2020 data). These imports generate a high cost of electricity which constitutes an obstacle to citizen’s purchasing power.
Renewable marine energies are proving to be a real leverage for transforming the energy model of these islands. As part of the INTERREG Caribbean program, the study aims to secure energy supply and control its cost over the long term in 12 territories of the Eastern Caribbean: Guadeloupe, Martinique, Antigua and Barbuda, Trinidad and Tobago, Anguilla, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the British Virgin Islands.

With the support of Europe

To move forward on this issue, these territories can count on the MRE-Caribbean project. Co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and implemented by the Guadeloupe Region, the project aims to check the feasibility of developing marine renewable energy production projects (tidal and wave) in the Eastern Caribbean.
This is why the “Caribbean MRE Project” consortium has been created by the Guadeloupe-based company EKWA Consulting (leader partner), with Hill & Hill (Antigua) and David A. Simmons & Associates (Trinidad) as supporting Caribbean partners, followed by Ys Energies Marines Developpement (FR), Meteolien (FR) and Mariteam (FR).