Project aims to advance offshore anchor technology

The VibroDrive+ project, supported by €400,000 Eureka Eurostars funding, will combine advanced vibro hammer technology with next-generation anchor concepts to drive smarter and more sustainable offshore solutions.

“The continued development of this technology through the VibroDrive+ project marks a significant milestone toward large-scale commercial deployment which is exciting for all involved parties,” said Anro Olivier, project manager at Dieseko Group.

“Our longstanding partnership with CorPower reflects Dieseko’s confidence in the technology and its ability to deliver opportunities for sustained cooperation in the long term.”

Reaching commerciality

Mr Olivier said that Wave Energy Conversion (WEC) technology has exciting potential to contribute to the renewable energy mix in the future.

The project is essential for the future rollout of CorPower Ocean’s wave energy arrays within and around offshore windfarms.

These anchors provide the foundation for large scale electricity generation from ocean waves and therefore make a direct contribution to scaling and stabilising the renewable energy mix at sea.

The VibroDrive+ initiative brings together Dieseko Group’s expertise in deep foundations and vibratory technology with CorPower Ocean’s pioneering work in wave energy systems.

The collaboration focuses on further optimising CorPower Ocean’s UMACK anchor, a universal anchor system designed for marine energy, floating wind and other offshore applications.

Through the integration of Dieseko’s high-performance vibro hammer solutions, the project aims to streamline anchor installation, minimize environmental impact and achieve the lowest possible Levelized Cost of Energy (LCoE).

Research activities will commence  on 1 December at the IWES Fraunhofer Institute in Hannover, where the project team will conduct advanced controlled laboratory testing involving several rounds of UMACK anchor installation and both static and cyclic load testing.

These trials will further confirm how vibratory techniques can enhance both the geotechnical performance and installation predictability of the UMACK anchor under diverse seabed conditions.

The collaboration between the two companies started in 2021, when the first UMACK anchor supporting CorPower Ocean’s flagship wave energy device was successfully installed in Portugal with Dieseko’s 500MU vibratory hammer.