Annual Report 2014
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SPAIN

José Luis Villate , TECNALIA This report has been prepared in collaboration with APPA-Marina, the ocean energy section of the Spanish Renewable Energy Association. APPA-Marina represents the voice of the Spanish ocean energy sector.


TECHNOLOGY DEMONSTRATION

OPERATIONAL PROJECTS

Mutriku Oscillating Water Column (MOWC) plant is an onshore testing facility. The power plant consists of 16 air chambers and 16 sets of “Wells turbines plus generator” of 18,5 kW each. The air chamber dimensions are 4.5 m wide, 3.1 m deep and 10 m high (over the Maximum Equinoctial Spring Tide Low Water). The diameter of the hole at the top is 0.75 m. The turbine gallery dimensions are 100 m long, 6.1 m wide and 5.4 m high. The plant is able to host new concepts of air turbines, electrical generators or control systems to be tested without grid-connection. Mutriku Wave Power Plant, promoted by EVE, is integrated within the breakwater of Mutriku (Basque Country) and started its operation in July 2011. Since then, it has produced more than 650 MWh.

 
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Mutriku break water and OWC wave power plant 

Wedge Global is leading UNDIGEN Project based on the industrial scale W1 device. The W1 system is an axisymmetric resonant point absorber with direct drive (linear generator) power take-off and incorporates nine years of technology development and testing. During 2014, the W1 system has been under open ocean test for five months in the Atlantic Ocean at PLOCAN site and additional 6 months testing at the harbour on the Canary Islands.

UNDIGEN is a project partially funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, led by the Spanish tech-company Wedge Global in collaboration with FCC, CIEMAT and PLOCAN. After completion of the planned tests during 2014, and due to the outstanding performance of the system, additional tests are planned for 2015.
 

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Installation of the Wedge Global “W1 device”


Waveport, the 4-year European funded project for demonstration of the Powerbuoy device from North American company, Ocean Power Technologies, was concluded in October 2014 but the device has not been tested as planned. It was built by the Spanish company Degima and shipped to USA.
 

PLANNED DEPLOYMENTS
In 2014, OCEANTEC made a second programme of task testing at CEHIPAR and then designed a low power prototype (40 kW) of its OWC floating device. The prototype has the main elements of the actual device with possibilities to optimize their performance in later designs. OCEANTEC plans to conduct sea trials in the years 2016-2017 to ensure the validity of the selected concept and optimize its design before having a full scale prototype (500 kW) to be tested at sea in the years 2018-2019.

Other Spanish projects under development:

  • In Galicia, an experimental prototype of a wave energy device is being tested by Norvento.
     
  • PIPO Systems is planning to install an autonomous observation and maritime surveillance device with a 5 kW wave power generator. This concept satisfies an existing demand and its development will be very useful for the optimisation of higher power systems.
     
  • Metalurgica Marina is still working on the Kostalde project to develop and install a 100 kW wave energy device.
     
  • The Magallanes Project aims to develop a high stability floating platform to support a 1 MW tidal turbine with currents over 1,5m/s. In 20014, the company successfully finished a test programme at EMEC.
     
  • The PROCODAC-GESMEY consortium (the Naval School of the Polytechnic University of Madrid, Soermar and Astilleros Balenciaga) plans to test a 1 MW prototype of its floating tidal turbine concept designed to operate in areas of 40 meters depth.

 

INDUSTRIAL INVOLVEMENT
Apart from its participation in R&D projects, IBERDROLA, through its UK subsidiary Scottish Power Renewables, is promoting projects based on ocean energy devices (wave & tidal) out of Spain. In Spain, IBERDROLA is partner with TECNALIA in OCEANTEC Energías Marinas. 

Abengoa Seapower continues the development of several activities in ocean energy, including R&D projects in wave and tidal energy, engineering for construction of marine energy projects, and the development of different
tools mainly focused on grid and performance of marine energy devices.

SENER is an engineering and construction company backed more than 50 years’ experience with capabilities in “Turnkey” Projects, and in the Design and Construction of Offshore Infrastructures and Marine Renewable Energy devices such as Wave Energy Converters and Floating Platforms for offshore Wind. SENER is in charge of the Engineering Property and Construction Management of bimep and it has also been an active partner in the OceanLider Project and other Projects related to the design of auxiliary vessels for supporting offshore Marine Farms.