OES Annual Report 2012 - Ocean Energy Systems

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The Oceanic Platform of the Canary Islands (PLOCAN) is a Public Consortium aimed to build and operate
an offshore infrastructure to facilitate and accelerate the development of new oceanic technologies.
PLOCAN is ruled by the Spanish Government (50%) and the Regional Government of the Canary Islands
(50%). This Consortium is placed on the island of Gran Canaria. PLOCAN offers a marine test site for ocean
energy converters prototypes. The submarine electrical infrastructure is being designed (expected to be
installed by the end of 2013) offering the required grid connection. The initial capacity is 15 MW with a
future extension planned up to 50 MW by 2020. Main technologies on testing will be related to waves and
offshore wind conversion. PLOCAN provides facilities to raise public funds aimed to develop innovative
projects in the test site:
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INNPACTO WAVE ENERGY (IWE) is a project partially funded by the Spanish Government (2010-2013)
and lead by the Spanish company PIPO Systems. Its main aim is to extend the concept of APC-PISYS
technology looking for new applications. As expected, the first prototype was successfully deployed in
October 2012 at PLOCAN’s test site (Gran Canaria) for operational assessment.
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UNDIGEN is a project partially funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (2011-
2013). The Spanish company WEDGE GLOBAL leads the consortium formed by FCC, CIEMAT and PLOCAN.
UNDIGEN is aimed to design, build and deploy a new wave energy converter prototype with a capacity of
150 kW. After completion of the mechanical and electrical design phase during 2012, as well as the studies
related to the operation site, deployment is expected by October 2013.
Both prototypes will have grid connection by the end of 2013 when the electrical infrastructure of PLOCAN
is available.
New Developments
Ocean Power Technologies (OPT) is developing a new wave energy device (PowerBuoy®) in the Spanish
coast under the WavePort EU project. In this project, OPT is collaborating in a consortium with University of
Exeter, UK Intelligent Systems Research Institute, Fugro Oceanor, Wave Energy Centre (WavEC) and Degima
SA. The project will build, deploy and demonstrate a commercial scale PowerBuoy® wave energy converter
with an innovative Real Time Wave by Wave Tuning System. Forward knowledge of the approaching wavetrain
delivered by the prediction system will allow advanced control of the PowerBuoy®, recovering more
energy from the ocean and substantially improving the device efficiency. This will drive down the levelized
cost of energy. The project has progressed well and the consortium forecasts deployment of the PowerBuoy
and completion on the sea trials during 2013 and 2014.
Abengoa (MCE: ABG), an international company that applies innovative technology solutions for
sustainable development in the energy and environment sectors, has set up a new business unit for ocean
energy: Abengoa Seapower. One of the first activities of Abengoa Seapower has been its participation
in the launch of Nautimus, the first ocean energy engineering firm. Nautimus, based in Scotland, is the
world’s first engineering services company dedicated to wave and tidal energy. It has been established by
Vattenfall, with support from Babcock and Abengoa. The company will fulfil the engineering, procurement,
integration and construction (EPC) needs of wave power and tidal stream projects on behalf of utility
clients.
Galicia Mar Renovables (GMR): During 2009, GMR tested in Ares Sea (A Coruña) a scaled 1:10 prototype
of its wave energy converter: a floating point absorber with mechanical PTO. The next steps were the
development and installation of a full-scale device in 2010 and a preindustrial prototype in the summer of
2011. This prototype generated 184 kWh with an installed capacity of 250 kWh during some trials without
optimal sea conditions. These tests were partially funded by the Spanish Ministry of Industry, Energy and
Tourism. In 2012, GMR has started the consenting process to install two wave energy farms in Ferrol and
Gijón, including an agreement between GMR and Instituto Enerxético de Galicia (INEGA). The Ferrol wave
power plant is expected to be in operation in 2014.
ANNUAL
REPORT 2012