Gironde-based Hace has developed an innovative machine capable of generating electricity from wave energy. Although the project is generating enthusiasm due to its ecological and economic benefits, the start-up is having difficulty obtaining funding.
The idea of producing electricity using waves is attractive for its positive impact on the environment. Jean-Luc Stanek founded the company Hace in 2013 with the aim of revolutionizing the field of renewable energies by using waves to produce carbon-free electricity. However, the start-up is having difficulty attracting financial support.
Despite these challenges, Hace carried out sea tests off Le Croisic (Loire-Atlantique) for three months in 2023. These tests demonstrated that the company’s industrial prototype is capable of producing electricity in all weather conditions, even with small waves. Despite two storms between April and July, the demonstrator has proven its effectiveness.
The project has required considerable investment, with three million euros already injected, including one million for a prototype in 2018 and nearly 900,000 euros for the most recent model. More than 90% of the funding comes from the private sector, according to Thierry Millet, partner of Jean-Luc Stanek. Currently, Hace is in the fundraising phase with the ambitious goal of collecting 20 million euros to open its first factory.
Thierry Millet underlines the importance of making this project a reality and highlights the advantages of the technology developed by Hace. The concept is based on transforming water surface movements into air flow inside modules, which is then converted into electrical energy. Hace promises attractive financial profitability (less than 30 euros per MWh) and a remarkable carbon footprint (1 gram of CO2 equivalent per KWh). In addition, the prototype, with a height of 2.5 meters, is virtually invisible once deployed at sea.
Hace’s founder, Jean-Luc Stanek, a former dentist, got the idea for this technology while observing the phenomenon of “blowers” in Reunion Island, where jets of seawater spring from the ground at regular intervals. After the Fukushima nuclear accident, Stanek decided to find alternative ways to produce electricity in a low-carbon way that was less risky for the environment. He trained as an autodidact in fluid mechanics and the strength of materials, and devoted himself entirely to his project, leaving his job in 2017 and selling his family home.