25Nov
News
Technological solutions for a smart city model
Spain is one of the main European components supply platforms for the international offshore renewable energy market
A study conducted by the marine energy section of the Marine APPA, the Association of Renewable Energy Companies, has analysed the strengths of this sector, identified its key actors and revealed the major role that companies play in the international sphere.
The study indicates that Spain has positioned itself as one of the main European knowledge and component supply platforms for the international market. According to APPA, the Spanish marine renewable energy sector has several technologies in different development stages. It has a skilled, expert and huge value chain ready to finalise the developments and begin marketing solutions that are able to exploit the potential that such energies represent.
"We have good technologies with devices in diverse phases of development (wave, current, offshore floating wind power), and we are convinced that there is tremendous and evident potential of the Spanish marine renewable energy industry", points out the APPA. "Urgent action is required to take advantage of this decisive deployment decade: It is now when Spain is in the position to make the most of this golden opportunity to promote this technological and industrial sector and play a key role in the marine energy market".
TECNALIA has offered and continues to offer its knowledge and experience to companies interested in renewable marine energy in areas such as modelling and analysis of floating structures; mooring systems; hydrodynamic characterisation; structural analysis and optimisation; electric connection and transmission; energy quality; energy storage systems; testing of materials and fault analysis; monitoring of corrosion and optimisation of operation, maintenance, installation and dismantling tasks.
Throughout our journey spanning 15 years, we have set up two technology-based companies: OCEANTEC Energías Marinas, in conjunction with Iberdrola, for the development of wave energy converters; and NAUTILUS Floating Solutions along with several Basque companies, for the development of floating solutions for offshore wind turbines.
We have transferred four patents to industry, performed tests on wave energy collectors in tanks and at sea, and participated in 20 European research projects, leading five of them (with global funding in excess of seven million euros and a success rate of more than 33%). We have also cooperated with the local government in the definition of a marine energy strategy, organised national and international events, including ICOE (International Conference on Ocean Energy) in 2010; and we have set up an offshore laboratory for the testing of materials and components in real conditions. We apply this knowledge using a comprehensive approach focusing on the deployment of marine energy farms that are profitable throughout their life cycle.
Our objectives for the forthcoming years include collaboration with BiMEP to move forward in the testing and certification of wave energy devices and floating wind turbines and contribute towards the technological development and access to the market of Nautilus.
We continue to explore new technological development opportunities and their transfer to companies and we will continue to optimise the return of European projects and consolidate their international presence.
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