Advancing Wave Energy Technology: IDOM Completes Testing of New Power Take-Off System

Spain-based multi-national architecture and engineering consultancy IDOM has completed commissioning of a new power take-off (PTO) system, marking a step forward in the development of advanced wave energy technologies.

EuropeWave has reported that the air turbine system has successfully entered a six-week testing phase at the Mutriku wave power plant, a notable grid-connected wave energy facility.

The testing phase aims to evaluate the system’s performance, reliability, and efficiency under real-sea operating conditions. The results obtained from this campaign are crucial in de-risking the technology for its upcoming offshore deployment.

Following the completion of onshore testing, the PTO will be integrated into the MARMOK-A-5 wave energy converter (WEC) prototype, a full-scale floating platform designed for offshore wave energy production, according to EuropeWave.

“Over the next 6 weeks, this air turbine will undergo a thorough testing campaign to ensure it’s ready for their open-sea deployment,” stated EuropeWave.

The MARMOK-A-5, now equipped with the new PTO, is scheduled for deployment at the Biscay Marine Energy Platform (BiMEP) later this summer.

MARMOK-A-5 operates as a point absorber based on the oscillating water column (OWC) working principle. The device underwent offshore trials in 2016 at the BiMEP testing site off the north coast of Spain. Subsequently, a refitted version of the device underwent a second round of open-sea trials in the Bay of Biscay under the EU-funded OPERA wave energy project in 2018. In 2022, IDOM concluded tank testing for the device.

As of December 2024, IDOM has reported significant progress towards the offshore deployment of its wave energy prototype next summer at the BiMEP, as part of Phase 3 of the EuropeWave project.