Waveroller is a wave-powered generator resting on the seafloor aims to make waves in renewable energy.
Developed by Finland’s AW-Energy, the Waveroller harnesses the endless motion of ocean waves to deliver reliable, clean electricity. Despite wave power’s vast potential, projects have stalled—but the durable Waveroller may change that.
Inspired in 1993 by a shipwreck hatch swaying in the currents, the Waveroller spent decades undergoing testing and refinements. In 2019, AW-Energy achieved a milestone by connecting the first commercial unit to Portugal’s grid. Retrieved for inspection after two grueling years at sea, the battered yet resilient system proved its mettle against corrosion and storm damage.
Now AW-Energy is gearing up the next-generation, megawatt-scale Waveroller for serial production and offshore “WaveFarm” arrays by 2024. Cost projections make the technology highly competitive among renewables. Waveroller’s ability to generate near-constant baseload power positions Europe as an innovator in renewable tech, with prospects to create 500 jobs and over €275M economic value this decade.
Yet for a technology 31 years in the making, global installations still appear modest—currently just a tentative plan for a WaveFarm off Namibia’s coast. Still, as climate concerns mount, the Waveroller’s durability and predictable power production place it to ride the growing wave of demand for clean energy.
So while wave power has lagged wind and solar, the seafloor-based Waveroller may at last be ready to make a splash. Its slow-but-steady journey now positions AW-Energy to help unleash the vast, untapped energy in ocean waves across the globe.
