• Seaturns launches 2 MW wave energy pilot in Mauritius
• Project tests grid-connected technology with potential expansion to 10 MW
• Initiative reflects growing interest in wave energy across Africa

French wave energy developer Seaturns announced the launch of a pre-commercial wave energy project in Mauritius in a March 11 press release. The project is part of the National Scheme for Emerging Project Concepts Based on Renewable Energy Technologies (NSEPCRET), run by the Mauritius Renewable Energy Agency (MARENA).

The agreement includes an initial 2 MW pilot farm connected to the national grid via state utility Central Electricity Board (CEB), with potential expansion to 10 MW. Seaturns said the project marks the world’s first pre-commercial deployment of a grid-connected wave energy farm.

Lawrence Sigaud, deputy chief executive for commercial development at the French startup, said the company “has been considering Mauritius for years, which has an important wave energy resource and is a country committed toward innovation.”

Testing phase ahead of commercial launch

The project aims to test the technology’s industrial performance and reliability under real-world conditions. The system harnesses the movement of wind-driven waves at the ocean surface. It includes a power purchase agreement with the CEB, although the investment amount has not been disclosed.

Seaturns is developing the project with Mauritian group Taylor Smith, which may take part in local equipment manufacturing as well as installation and maintenance.

The initiative reflects an emerging trend in Africa’s wave energy sector. In South Africa, Eco Wave Power said in February it had identified around 8.3 MW of wave energy potential at the port of Ngqura following a feasibility study launched earlier in 2025. No final investment decision has been announced.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), global wave energy potential is estimated at 29,500 TWh per year.

Abdoullah Diop