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OES-Environmental distributes metadata forms (questionnaires) to solicit information from developers involved in environmental monitoring around marine renewable energy project sites around the world. This page provides project descriptions, baseline assessment, post-installation monitoring, and links to available data and reports. Content is updated on an annual basis.

PLOCAN Marine Test Site for Ocean Energy Converters

A prototype of a wave energy converter

Contents

MRE Project Site

Title: PLOCAN Marine Test Site for Ocean Energy Converters
Status:
In Operation
Project Manager:
Oceanic Platform of the Canary Islands (PLOCAN)
Tech Developer:
Oceanic Platform of the Canary Islands (PLOCAN)
Start Date:
Info Last Updated:
Contact:
Corina Moya Falcòn
(login for email address)
PRIMRE Link:
Projects Database
Website:
External Link

Details

Device Name:
UNDIGEN
Technology:
Marine Energy, OTEC, Wave, Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind
Technology Subtype:
Bottom-Mounted, Suspended in Water Column, Floating
Support Structure:
Rock Anchor
Project Scale:
Test Site
Grid Connection:
Grid-Connected
Installed Capacity:
10 MW with potential capacity of 15 MW
Electrical Infrastructure:
Cables in the Water Column
Country:
Spain
Physical Site:
Open Coast, Shallow Channel (<40m), Deep Channel (>40m), Noisy Environment (>80 dB), Isolated/Quiet Environment (<80 dB)
Water Depth:
20-600 m

Description

Marine test site for emerging oceanic technologies focused on ocean energy converters. PLOCAN is a Public Consortium ruled by the Spanish Government and the Regional Government of the Canary Islands. PLOCAN is a marine scientific and technical infrastructure to facilitate the development of new oceanic technologies providing different services to the enterprises and researchers. The five strategic lines are: ocean observation, underwater vehicles, marine test site, platform of innovation and training centre.

Location

The site is located on the east coast of Gran Canaria Island of the Canary Islands in Spain. It is located at the border of the continental platform with depths between 20-600m in the Atlantic Ocean.

Licensing Information

The Regional Government of the Canary Islands was in charge of the environmental procedure. The Authorization was issued in April 2013 to install the submarine electrical infrastructure and wave energy converters.

The test site area has been authorized by the Council of Ministers agreement of 14 March 2014. This test site has a marine area of 23 km2.
 

Project Progress

This test site is operative for grid and non-grid connected prototypes.

Grid connection of two 5MW cables includes: 

  • 1st cable of 5 MW: operative. 5 MW offshore wind turbine connected (since 2018)
  • 2nd cable of 5 MW: pending to enter in operation

Key Environmental Issues

The test site is out of sensitive areas in terms of NATURA 2000 or any National and Regional Declarations. The most interesting species detected in the area are: 

  • Avrainvillea canariensis: Algae declared as “Interesting for Canary ecosystems” by the Regional Law 4/2010.
  • Mäerl: Include in the Annex V of Habitat Directive.
  • Access to the Canary Island Coastal Piloting Tool: https://www.pilotajelitoralcanario.es/&nbsp;

Papers, Reports, Research Studies

  • Project name: WELCOME (Wave Energy Lift Converter Multiple España)
    • Sector: Wave energy
    • Status: Finished
    • Environmental monitoring:
      • Oceanographic parameters: Temperature, Salinity, Turbidity, pH, Oxygen, Currents speed, Waves
      • Meteorological parameters: Wind speed and direction, Atmospheric pressure
  • Project name: UNDIGEN
    • Sector: Wave energy
    • Status: Finished
    • Environmental monitoring:
      • Temperature, Salinity, Turbidity, pH, Oxygen, Chlorophyll, Nutrients, PAHs, Submarine noise
  • Project: PivotBuoy
    • Sector: Floating Offshore Wind Energy
    • Status: Ongoing
    • Reports and deliverables:
  • Project name: Wavepiston
    • Sector: Wave energy for electricity and desalination
    • Status: Finished
    • Environmental monitoring: none available
  • Project name: AIRE - Advanced study of the atmospheric flow Integrating REal climate conditions to enhance wind farm and wind turbine power production and increase components durability
    • Sector: Wind energy
    • Status: Ongoing
    • Environmental monitoring: Meteorological parameters: Wind speed and direction, Atmospheric pressure, Air Quality
  • Project name: WHEEL
    • Sector: Floating wind energy
    • Status: Ongoing
    • Environmental monitoring: Submarine noise, environmental monitoring
  • Project name: PLOTEC
    • Sector: OTEC
    • Status: Ongoing
    • Environmental monitoring: Bio- monitoring, temperature, Salinity, Submarine noise.
  • Project name: PURE WIND
    • Sector: Floating wind energy
    • Status: Ongoing
    • Environmental monitoring: Submarine noise.
       

Additional information can be found at http://observatorios.plocan.eu/index.php/en/coastal-observatory

Environmental Monitoring: PLOCAN Marine Test Site for Ocean Energy Converters

ID Phase Stressor & Receptor Design and Methods Results
6445 Baseline Changes in Flow

Physical Environment 		Geophysical
Sub-bottom layers
Sub-bottom profiler TOPAS. 		Completed 2013 Completed 2015
Unconsolidated sediment layer thickness:
1 m-10 m
6446 Baseline Changes in Flow

Physical Environment 		Wave Conditions
Waverider buoy data analysis. 		Complete
Average values:
• Hs = 1.05 m
Tp = 8 s
6447 Baseline Changes in Flow

Physical Environment 		Marine Currents
ADCP 		Underway
Average value:
V = 0.2 m/s
6448 Baseline Changes in Flow

Physical Environment 		Underwater Acoustic Survey
Hydrophone 		Underway
See reports (in Spanish)
6449 Baseline EMF

Physical Environment 		Electromagnetic Fields
Electric and magnetic field measurements 		Complete
Baseline level.
Report in Spanish.
6439 Baseline Marine Mammals Presence of Marine Mammals in the Area
Review existing information. 		Complete
Few mammals and turtles. Report in Spanish. English summary report is pending.
6450 Baseline Human Dimensions, Fisheries Fisheries
Review of existing information. 		Complete
Local fisheries activity.
6440 Baseline Fish Study of Fish in the Area
Review of existing information. 		Complete
Presence of some species of sharks documented. Local fisheries activity.
6441 Baseline Habitat Change

Invertebrates 		Identification of Benthic Community
Video transects, previous existing information, sampling. 		Complete
Most interesting species:
• Avrainvillea canariensis (algae)
• Mäerl community
6442 Baseline Changes in Flow

Physical Environment, Water Quality 		Water Quality
Survey conducted with multi-parameter probe: salinity, temperature, pH, turbidity, oxygen. 		Complete
No contamination detected.
6443 Baseline Changes in Flow

Physical Environment, Water Quality 		Water quality
Laboratory
Sampling with oceanographic bottles. Parameters: nutrients, pigments, metals, pH, salinity, oxygen. 		Completed. Planned side scan sonar.
No contamination detected.
6444 Baseline Changes in Flow

Physical Environment, Sediment Transport 		Geophysical
Sediments morphology, type and quality (metals, PAHs, PCBs, Organic matter)
Van Veen dredger to collect bottom samples. 		Completed 2010 Completed 2015
Sand, Gravels and Rocks. No contamination detected.
6456 Post-Installation Monitoring Changes in Flow

Physical Environment 		In Situ: temperature, salinity, pH, oxygen, turbidity, chlorophyll
Seasonal boat based survey with multi-parameter probe. 		Underway
N/A
6457 Post-Installation Monitoring Changes in Flow

Physical Environment 		In Situ: temperature, salinity, pH, oxygen, turbidity, chlorophyll
Permanent deployed oceanographic buoys. 		Planned
N/A
6458 Post-Installation Monitoring Changes in Flow

Physical Environment 		Laboratory: nutrients, pigments, metals, pH, salinity, oxygen
Seasonal boat based sampling with oceanographic bottles. 		Underway
N/A
6459 Post-Installation Monitoring Changes in Flow

Physical Environment 		Waves
Permanent deployed wave buoy. 		Underway
N/A
6460 Post-Installation Monitoring Changes in Flow

Physical Environment 		Currents
Permanent deployed ADCP.
HF radar
 Planned operative
N/A
6451 Post-Installation Monitoring Noise

Fish, Marine Mammals 		Monitoring noise
Permanent deployed monitor noise systems. 		Planned
N/A
6452 Post-Installation Monitoring EMF

Fish, Invertebrates, Reptiles 		Planned
N/A
6453 Post-Installation Monitoring Habitat Change

Marine Mammals 		Monitoring the Presence of Marine Mammals
Visual surveys. 		Planned
N/A
6454 Post-Installation Monitoring Habitat Change

Fish 		Monitoring the Presence of Fish, Particularly Sharks
Visual surveys. 		Planned
N/A
6455 Post-Installation Monitoring Habitat Change

Invertebrates 		Monitoring the Impact on Benthic Communities
• ROV inspections
• Permanent underwater video cameras
Inspections with divers
Planned
N/A