Spain is on a crusade to become a leader in renewable energies. At times we have suffered setbacks, such as the giant solar plant in Morocco whose construction is still on hold. However, it is not the only project in which the Iberian Peninsula is involved, and this revolutionary energy could be a great help when it comes to paying for electricity.
The sea could help you pay your electricity bill
We have been researching the potential of the sea to produce electricity for several decades. It is an abundant resource, especially for our country, and if we can find a sustainable way to use it to generate power, it could be a panacea for all of Europe’s grid power supply problems.
There are currently some forms of marine power generation such as tidal power, but they still represent a marginal portion of the European Union’s electricity pool, as they present a number of difficulties. Japanese companies are also advancing methods to extract clean hydrogen from the seabed, but this technology is still in its infancy.
Now, thanks to the Plotec project (Plataforma Oceánica de Canarias), Spain could improve its resilience to extreme weather conditions. The objective, according to the promoters themselves, is to test a floating OTEC structure that is resistant to storms. In other words, to guarantee the structural resistance of the future platforms to be erected (this is not an energy generation project).
Clean, cheap and infinite energy
The project involves countries such as Spain, Australia, Italy, Portugal and the United Kingdom, and teams of experts from all areas of sustainability, politics, economics, computational modeling, etc. are collaborating. With a budget of 3.5 million euros, they have been developing this technology for several years and are now carrying out the first computer simulations.
It is a technology that would be implemented in island regions to provide clean energy to small communities. The system has been developed so that it can be easily implemented in any state once the tests have shown positive results. The team’s goal is to present a track record of real results to future investors.
Unlike other technologies, this marine power plant poses no threat to the seabed or ocean floor and is completely clean and sustainable. It uses computer simulations to anticipate the effect that tides will have on future ocean platforms.
The advantages of this new energy
Something as mundane as paying the electricity bill every month has become an increasingly urgent concern in the EU. That is why, and because we must work to reduce our carbon footprint, this project is a priority for the region.
The plant we are talking about, which will be installed on the island of Gran Canaria, is not intended for energy production, something we must clarify. From here they will carry out the first field tests to check the resistance of the future offshore ocean structures.
This program receives funding from both the EU and the United Kingdom Research and Innovation program (UKRI). It is also part of the Global OTEC Ocean Thermal Conversion (CETO) project, which seeks to implement this new clean energy worldwide to help citizens pay for electricity without pollution.
Spain leads the sustainable energy race
The outlook looks bright for Spain in terms of access to clean and sustainable energy. If the PLOCAN project is as successful as expected, we will see how we make more resilient structures for future projects, not unlike this energy project that Europe fears at the moment.
