Based on the development of a pilot test of the ROE (Renewable Ocean Energy) project, the Cantabria Maritime Cluster and the Balearic Islands Cluster propose turning Cantabria into an experimental laboratory for the generation of renewable energy from the force of waves from sea.
"Cantabria is also taking a path that is firmly committed to innovative renewable energies to achieve the objective of the European Commission that advocates a climate-neutral Europe in 2050," says Juan Luis Sánchez, president of the MarCa Cluster. In this context, he stressed that "the Cantabrian Sea is an ideal location for the generation of wave energy and we have to bet on it". "Decarbonization is an objective to which the maritime sector is fully committed, with the recently created Blue Economy Platform of Cantabria as an example of this."
In addition, Sánchez lists some of the projects that are already being carried out within the community in the field of alternative energy, such as Green Hydrogen Cantabria. “The energy through the waves is one more reinforcement to the capacities of our community to be sustainable and efficient” he concluded.
For her part, Iolanda Piedra, president of the Cluster of the Balearic Islands, emphasizes that "it does not have any impact on maritime tourism, nor on maritime transport, nautical or fishing." This is due to the fact that the technology will be installed on the breakwaters, which, she assures, "does not cause any change in the landscape or in the activity of these sectors."
ROE project
The innovative component of the ROE project focuses on a marine hydraulic turbine, which has the capacity to take advantage of the energy produced by the waves when they break against the breakwaters, generating an average electricity of 15 Kw/h to 25 Kw/h per unit. The technicians responsible for the development of this initiative affirm that, through the project's energy, the same amount of renewable energy can be produced in 100m2 as in 1,200 m2 of photovoltaic energy.
The proposal, promoted in collaboration with the Cluster of the Balearic Islands, connects with the Green Deal line of action established in the 2021-2024 Strategic Plan of the MarCA Cluster. This line aims to promote the use of alternative and renewable energy sources in the region's maritime industry to achieve cleaner energy consumption and promote environmental sustainability.
