RECODE project moves to demonstration phase

Partners in the RECODE project, set up with the aim to cut ocean energy costs, have announced the project has moved from concept development to the testing and demonstration phase.

The project partners met in Spain to disseminate the undertakings conducted so far regarding the development of cost effective components, specifically designed for the reliable and sustainable delivery of ocean energy.

Tecnalia, which hosted the meeting, is leading the RECODE project, funded under Oceanera-Net initiative, with partners Zunibal, Ditrel Industrial, WavEC Offshore Renewables, Smartbay Ireland, the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult, and the Energy Cluster Association of the Basque Country.

Zunibal is leading on Work Package 2 and 3 – the safety monitoring and control device and the wave measuring buoy. The safety monitoring and control device is already deployed and under test at ocean energy test site Bimep, just along the coast of Bilbao.

The hull development for the wave measuring buoy has also been completed, and the work on the mooring and anchoring is progressing, with the electronics currently under lab testing, RECODE project website states.

The buoys, complete with the electronics, will be deployed at Bimep for testing in the next few months.

Ditrel is leading on Work Package 5 – designing a device to cable connector. The housings have been manufactured and the device is just about to undergo six months of wet tests, also at Bimep, which the company hopes will get underway this month.

Pablo Ruiz-Minguela, RECODE project coordinator and Head of Wave Energy for Tecnalia, said: “It was extremely helpful to have some of the key project partners come together in Bilbao as it allowed us to update everyone on the latest developments in the project, and to see the site where much of the testing will take place.

“Progress in the project, and in development of the four ocean energy technologies, has been going extremely well and we are all looking forward to entering this next, critical phase of testing and demonstration.”

The project is expected to further advance the development of four critical components for ocean energy: safety monitoring and control device, wave measurement buoy, umbilical cable monitoring device, and an underwater device-to-cable connector for a floating energy converter.

It has a budget of €1.3 million and will last for 36 months.