en.Wedoany.com Reported - The improved prototype of the Marmok A-5 wave energy device, developed by the Spanish Basque engineering company IDOM, was recently towed to the BiMEP test area and will undergo testing over the coming months. Equipped with a controllable blade turbine and an intelligent control system, the device aims to verify its performance under real offshore operating conditions. This test marks the second phase of validation activities for the Marmok A-5, providing critical data for its technical verification and future scalability. The device is connected to the grid via BiMEP's HarshLab platform, enabling power transmission and system monitoring. Funding comes from the European innovation program EuropeWave.
The Marmok A-5 prototype was built and launched in the Basque Country, Spain, in 2016, and was subsequently towed to the Armintza coast off the Bilbao estuary, where it was moored and tested in BiMEP waters for three years. The device is 42 meters long, 5 meters in diameter, and has a displacement of 162 tons. It employs Oscillating Water Column (OWC) technology, using wave motion to force air within a water column through a turbine to generate electricity. Upon its installation in 2016, it became Spain's first grid-connected wave energy converter and one of the earliest such devices worldwide to be connected to land. During the testing period, the device successfully withstood waves up to 14 meters, providing IDOM with valuable data.
IDOM acquired the Oceantec team around 2018, taking full control of the Marmok's research and development. Imanol Urquijo, head of IDOM's Offshore and Marine department, stated that the company has moved into the commercial phase of offshore wind energy, collaborating with companies like Iberdrola and Navantia in the UK, Portugal, and Germany. While the wave energy project has not yet entered the commercial phase, IDOM already has three years of open-sea testing experience. The latest prototype improvements include a new turbine, mooring system, and control algorithms, aimed at advancing technological maturity. IDOM wave energy engineer Patxi Echaniz previously noted that global wave resources are abundant, and if they could be converted economically, they could solve the world's energy problems. Currently, about a dozen institutions worldwide are participating in the wave energy technology race, with IDOM in a leading position.
The re-deployment of the Marmok A-5 signifies the Basque Country's continued investment in the wave energy sector. As testing proceeds, IDOM will collect data with the aim of moving towards a pre-commercial phase. The device will operate in BiMEP waters for several months to verify its robustness, reliability, and ease of maintenance.
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