SafeWAVE project bolsters ocean energy data platform 

EU-backed SafeWAVE project has upgraded the Comprehensive Marine Renewable Energy Data (MARENDATA), a data platform created to deliver marine renewable energy industry-specific information related to resource and impact assessment.

MARENDATA integrates data from different sources to offer insights into the environmental impacts of marine energy devices to support regulatory processes by providing detailed information accessible to both technical and non-technical users, said SafeWAVE. 

Stakeholders can access project-specific data and analyze various environmental parameters across different test centers.

MARENDATA, formerly supported by EU projects like SOWFIA, WESE, and SeaWAVE, continues to expand its data sets through the SafeWAVE initiative. It retains all existing datasets while introducing new ones. 

New features of MARENDATA include the option for users to log in using their Microsoft, Google, or Facebook accounts, thus simplifying the onboarding process. Database triggers have been implemented to automatically generate data upon new uploads, simplifying data management. The third new feature is that MARENDATA is now integrated into the Portal and Repository for Information on Marine Renewable Energy (PRIMRE).

“We are excited to update MARENDATA and provide the marine renewable energy industry with data from top R&D teams to support consenting and licensing processes,” said José Chambel Leitão, managing partner of Hidromod, a partner of the SAFEWAVE project.

“Our platform is a valuable resource for technical and non-technical audiences, providing quick and easy access to critical information related to marine energy projects and test sites.”

SafeWAVE is a project launched in February 2021, working on improving knowledge of the environmental effects and risks of wave energy through the collection, processing, analysis, and sharing of environmental data around devices operating at sea and modeling of cumulative impacts of future larger-scale deployments. 

Working on utilizing marine renewable energy resources of the Atlantic seaboard, the SafeWAVE project is prolonged until June 2024.

This online platform was launched back in March 2020 and was co-founded by the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund.