Marine Renewable Technologies: Present and Future / Underwater Vehicles for Marine Renewable Energies

Iñigo Martínez de Alegría:

Unmanned vehicles for the last frontier.

Underwater and surface unmanned vehicles allow humans to explore the ocean in a variety of innovative ways. Unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) have received worldwide attention and have been widely used in different areas of application. UUVs are increasingly taking on measurement, inspection, repair and monitoring tasks at sea. The development of UUV-s is making it possible to expand our knowledge of the final frontier. The presentation shows different aspects of the design and development of underwater drones or robots.

Eider Robles:

Climate change and environmental degradation is one of the main threats in contemporary world. In order to overcome these challenges, the EU agreed on the European Green Pact, a package of policy initiatives aiming at a green transition in the EU, with the ultimate goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2050.

One of the main axes is the decarbonisation of the economy, where the boost to renewable energies comes into play, at a time when they are already more competitive than fossil fuels.

At the national level, Spain's energy dependence is also well above the European average. We currently import around 74% of the energy we consume. Once again, renewable energies are key to solving this serious problem. Spain's leadership in the field of renewable energies is indisputable; not only in terms of installed capacity, but also in terms of technological and industrial development, with significant participation in the entire value chain.

Spain is the country with the longest coastline in the European Union (8,000 kilometres) and has 46 national ports. With a great experience in the naval sector and an important effort in R+D+I, it is in a privileged position to lead the Offshore Renewable Energies. And it is proving it, with a leading industry with a strong presence in the international offshore wind energy market, for example, it already has companies and consortiums participating in the entire value chain of European offshore wind projects.

But the continental shelf in our waters is short and narrow, and great depths are soon reached. The new floating platform technology would make it possible to install offshore wind farms in Spain. The Basque Country has become a technological and industrial niche in Offshore Renewable Energies. It is a world reference with extensive experience in the naval sector, with local developers, testing infrastructures, cutting-edge technology centres and a well-positioned industry capable of supplying advanced components throughout the value chain.