OCC Finalist Spotlight – Meet Slow Mill!

We are excited to introduce one of the finalists of the 2025 Ocean Community Challenge: Slow Mill! 

Based in the Netherlands, this start-up is developing wave energy converters to harness the huge energy potential of waves. They have already built a scale model, which is working well and has proved that they are on the right track. 

Scale Model

Oceans are the last untapped resource of clean energy. Wave energy is available all the time and can generate clean energy even when the sun is not shining and the wind is not blowing. The location of Slow Mill in the Netherlands makes it perfect for testing its technology in the North Sea and also finding early implementation cases, like Texel island in North Holland. 

Recently, in March 2025, Slow Mill completed an offshore test with its scale model (picture) near the coast of Scheveningen. Its unique approach with patented technology provides for high production in relatively moderate waves, something that other wave energy companies haven’t been able to accomplish. CEO Erwin Meijboom states: "Now, the road is open to further scaling up. A wave energy farm combined with an offshore wind farm is our next milestone. We believe, in 2032, we can provide for 10% of the Dutch offshore energy ambition.”

The company has identified key use cases for their wave energy converters (WECs): the two main ones are island communities that usually rely on energy from the mainland and could produce their energy with wave energy farms. Another interesting use case would be integrating WECs into existing offshore wind farms and thus sharing the existing infrastructure and driving down costs significantly. The wave farm would also reduce the energy of incoming waves and thus reduce the wear and tear on the wind turbines, increase their lifetime and the overall power output.

To minimise the ecological impact of construction, Slow Mill is determined to use carbon-free steel in its production as well as sustainable concrete for the foundations. The company also claims that the anchors of a module are a substrate for the development of ecosystems, and biodiversity is growing by 30-50 %, as well as acting as a nitrogen and carbon sink.

We are proud to support Slow Mill and excited to join them on their mission to revolutionise wave energy production and make it accessible, scalable and as unintrusive as possible.🌊

Website