This major milestone kick-starts the second testing campaign of the floating OWC device which integrates the main innovations developed in the OPERA project
Following the successful open-sea testing of the baseline configuration for two consecutive winters at BiMEP, the floating OWC prototype, developed by Oceantec (now part of IDOM GROUP) and dubbed MARMOK-A-5, was towed into port in June for a thorough inspection, conditioning and integration of the different innovations that have been developed in the OPERA project.
During this first deployment, MARMOK-A-5 has demonstrated survivability in rough seas up to 14 m maximum wave height and displayed increasing availability reaching 85%. The research team has been able to gain more than 1,000 man-hours of experience in operation and maintenance as well as confidence in its power performance and mooring system robustness.
Yesterday, the modified WEC configuration was redeployed for its second phase of open-sea trials. MARMOK-A-5 will be in the water for approximately another year and will provide valuable data to assess long term cost reductions.
The upgraded MARMOK-A-5 integrates a high performance biradial turbine (developed by Kymaner) and advanced control laws (developed by Tecnalia, IST, University of Exeter and University of Cork) previously tested at Mutriku. The shared mooring system configuration comprises two elastomeric tethers (developed by the University of Exeter) aimed at reducing peak loads, thus enhancing structural survivability.
The first development received funding from the Basque Energy Agency under a Pre-commercial Procurement Contract.
OPERA is an international project consortium, coordinated by Tecnalia, comprising 11 academic and industrial partners. The project aims to develop and de-risk technologies that will reduce the cost of operating wave energy devices at sea by 50% and subsequently accelerate the roll out of marine renewable energy.
