Abstract
From the very first conception of the wave power plant at Mutriku through to its completion, this article shares the process of maturing and crystallising an entirely new project. Not only was this the first multi-turbine facility to be installed in a breakwater, it was also the world’s first commercial project: in other words, a project in which a technology firm sold a power-generating facility to an investor for commercial operation. As well as addressing other issues, the article focuses on the unusual nature of the building process involved in the civil engineering.