Oceantec WEC soon to raise Spanish waves

Spanish wave energy developer, Oceantec Energías Marinas, is finalizing the construction of its wave energy converter ahead of the deployment off Spain.

Oceantec Energías Marinas has informed on social media that the assembly works on its wave energy device are nearing completion, to be followed by a ‘very soon’ deployment at bimep site, off the coast of Armintza.

The device is being assembled at Navacel facilities in Erandio.

It will be deployed as part of EU-funded OPERA project whose goal is to halve the cost of wave energy generation.

The prototype device, a point absorber oscillating water column (OWC), is shaped like a giant buoy with 5 m in diameter, 40 m height and weight of around 70 tonnes.

The device generates power when the waves cause water column to rise and fall, compressing and decompressing the air above, which spins the turbine.