Cleantech start-up Crestwing is behind the wave energy of the future

Energy consumption and energy optimisation are widely discussed topics: How do we make the best use of our resources? How do we achieve the best results? What do we do when wind and solar energy are not enough? These are just some of the questions that Crestwing is trying to answer by developing a pioneering wave energy plant.

Founder Henning Pilgaard founded the company Crestwing in 2007. Henning Pilgaard has a long background in green energy, writing his first report on the problems of CO2 and global warming in the 70s. With his background in marine engineering and project management, he came up with the idea of creating a tall and efficient, but very cheap wave energy system. The system would draw power from the waves, just as wind turbines harness the wind.

"Through public funding, we tested the idea at Aalborg University and the Danish Hydraulic Institute, which allowed us to launch our first prototype, Tordenskiold, in 2018, at 30 metres and 65 tonnes," says Rune Bloom, CTO of Crestwing:

"My mum and I have been working hard on the project alongside Henning Pilgaard. We therefore also continued the project when Henning Pilgaard passed away in 2016."

Crestwing became part of INCUBA's StartupLab in August 2022 and has since participated in a number of networking events:

"Through networking events in INCUBA, we have gained access to a number of investors that we would not have met otherwise. In particular, we saw a great deal of interest after our presentation at the Aarhus Investor Summit in the autumn of 2022. One of the things that is also unique about INCUBA is that we can have such a close dialogue with other companies in the INCUBA environment. They have made their expertise and networks available to us, and this has opened a number of doors for us. Greenlab Skive, among others, has been a really good partner," says Rune Bloom.

Rune Bloom also adds that Crestwing has been very happy to receive help from their mentor and Maj Louise Agerskov, CEO of INCUBA, who have both been great at providing feedback and helping to ensure that the company is moving in the right direction.

The future looks very bright for Crestwing, as in December 2022 the company received a commitment for a DKK 11 million project from the Danish Energy Agency through the Energy Technology Development and Demonstration Programme (EUDP).

"We are in collaboration with a number of large companies, including Shell, but in addition, we are also in close dialogue with customers from a number of different countries who are interested in wave energy parks over the coming years," concludes Rune Bloom.