World’s Largest Heat Treatment Specialist Bodycote Targeting Marine Renewables Sector
Bodycote, the world’s largest provider of heat treatments and specialist thermal processing services, is targeting the marine renewables sector after securing work with wave energy pioneer CorPower Ocean.
The UK-headquartered firm, which has built a long-term track record in automotive, aerospace, energy and broader industrial sectors, is now breaking into ocean energy after helping Swedish developer CorPower optimise key components in its Wave Energy Converters (WECs).
CorPower’s high-efficiency WECs, inspired by the pumping principles of the human heart, offer five times more energy per ton of device compared to previously known technologies. Incorporating a series of unique features to boost storm survivability and power capture, the WECs also benefit from thermochemical treatment to protect against the harshest marine conditions.
“After our initial collaboration we have now worked with Bodycote at a number of plant locations across Sweden to develop mechanical components for our WECs using Corr-I-Dur®. This thermochemical treatment simultaneously improves corrosion resistance and wear properties by generating an iron nitride-oxide compound layer. Durability and robustness are of paramount importance in the wave energy sector, and effective protection of devices in the hostile ocean environment has always presented a major challenge to our industry. Corr-I-Dur® has proved a particularly favourable solution being specifically designed for components subjected to a corrosive environment in combination with wear. From a commercial perspective, solid proof of the long-term resilience of our WECs makes them infinitely more valuable. We believe this collaboration will play a crucial role protecting our WECs during our next phase of testing in the Atlantic Ocean, and for the years to come,” CorPower Ocean Senior Procurement and Quality Engineer Thomas Lindahl said.
“We are pleased to be contributing to the marine renewable energy industry by making components last longer in extreme conditions. By using Corr-I-Dur®, CorPower was able to design mechanical components such as pistons, guides and linkages, that are suitable for the world’s harshest environments for metal. Our customers value Corr-I-Dur® for its ability to provide superior material properties such as wear and corrosion resistance, reducing maintenance costs and downtime for hard to access equipment. CorPower was looking to push the performance of their metal components through durability and corrosion resistance,” Bodycote President for Northern and Eastern Europe, Paul Clough, added.
CorPower Ocean is aiming to bring reliable and competitive wave energy technology to the world, unlocking one of the largest untapped sources of renewable energy – harnessing the natural power of the oceans to help us tackle climate change and achieve a sustainable low-carbon future.
The firm is now ramping up operations for its flagship HiWave-5 demonstration project in northern Portugal to propel its wave technology to a bankable product offering by 2024 – proving the survivability, performance and economics of a grid-connected array of WECs. The 16MEUR project includes investment to build a world-class wave energy hub in the Port of Viana do Castelo, involving R&D, Manufacturing and Servicing facilities for the long-term development of supply and service capacity for commercial wave energy farms.
About Bodycote
With facilities in 23 countries, Bodycote is the world’s largest provider of heat treatments and specialist thermal processing services. Through classical heat treatment and specialist technologies, including Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP), Bodycote improves the properties of metals and alloys, extending the life of vital components for a wide range of industries, including aerospace, defense, automotive, power generation, oil & gas, construction, medical and transportation. Customers in all of these industries have entrusted their products to Bodycote’s care for more than 50 years.
About CorPower Ocean
CorPower Ocean brings to market, a new class of high efficiency Wave Energy Converters (WECs) enabling robust and cost-effective harvesting of electricity from ocean waves. The design principle is inspired by the pumping principles of the human heart and offers five times more energy per ton of device compared to previously known technologies, allowing a large amount of energy to be harvested using a small and low-cost device. The CorPower WEC’s unique ability to become transparent to incoming waves provides survivability for the WEC in storm conditions. CorPower is headquartered in Sweden, with offices in Portugal, Norway and Scotland. The company has received broad backing across Europe, with funders including EIT InnoEnergy, the European Commission, the Swedish and Scottish Governments, Midroc New Technology, ALMI Greentech fund and additional private investors.
