Carnegie Clean Energy has completed the fabrication of the buoyant actuator, the prime mover of the CETO wave energy system, and is now preparing it for transport to the Port of Bilbao, Spain, for final quayside activities.
The CETO Buoyant Actuator was built locally in the Basque Country using a modular design to simplify road transport, Carnegie said.
At the Port of Bilbao, three modular sections will be reassembled on the quayside and finishing elements such as fenders will be attached, after which the buoyant actuator will be lifted into the water portside and towed to Carnegie’s berth at the Biscay Marine Energy Platform (BiMEP).
Simultaneously, an initial mooring system will be deployed at the berth for the first stage of deployment.
The activities representing the first stage of ocean deployment under the ACHIEVE Programme will begin in November.
Furthermore, the power take-off (PTO) assembly and onshore testing will be completed in preparation for the second stage of deployment, when the full CETO system will be deployed and grid-connected in spring 2027.
According to Carnegie, PTO module assembly has been progressing at SKF, where mechanical and electrical components are being fitted within each module. Following completion, a final onshore testing program will be performed to validate operation of the PTO architecture, electrical and control system onshore in a controlled environment.
Once this is completed, the modules will be brought to the port for integration into the buoyant actuator and the start of the second stage of deployment.
CETO is a fully submerged, point absorber-type wave energy technology device. A submerged buoy sits a few meters below the surface and moves with the ocean’s waves. This orbital motion drives a PTO system that converts this motion into electricity.
The unit will operate at BiMEP for two years, gathering data to validate CETO technology and advance commercialization.