lunes, 30 de septiembre de 2024
The province of Castellón could become a pioneer in Spain in harnessing energy from ocean waves, thanks to a project led by the engineering firm MasQueIngenieros and the company Rotary Wave, which they plan to launch in 2025 with three pilot projects in the province’s ports. These initiatives will be developed through public-private partnerships, leveraging existing infrastructure and public funding.
This system would generate 130,000 kilowatt-hours per year—equivalent to the monthly consumption of 500 households—resulting in an estimated annual energy saving of €30,000 and a reduction of up to 16 tons of CO₂ emissions. This makes it a replicable model for any coastal city.
According to Jorge Pi, engineer and founder of MasQueIngenieros, if all coastal municipalities in Castellón adopted this technology, it could generate enough energy to supply towns like Orpesa or l'Alcora.
Castellón is one of Spain’s provinces with the longest coastline, boasting 140 kilometers of coast and 16 coastal municipalities, including Castelló de la Plana, Borriana, Benicàssim, Peñíscola, and Vinaròs—offering significant potential for the development of this technology.
Wave energy converts the ocean's kinetic and mechanical energy into electricity through various technological systems. As it derives from natural phenomena, it is considered a renewable and clean energy source.
Although still an emerging technology—the first operational plant opened in Australia in 2014—its vast potential positions it as one of the most promising energy sources for achieving a zero-emissions future, according to the project’s developers.
Unlike other pilot projects, such as the one at the Port of València, this is an unprecedented and innovative initiative in Spain. So far, it has only been implemented on a limited scale in countries such as Portugal, the United Kingdom, and China.
The prototype has been developed with partial support from IVACE and European funding through the SME R&D program in collaboration with the Institute of Energy Technology. It consists of a floating device and hydraulic arm anchored to the port’s breakwater, a hydraulic system that captures wave energy, and a generation module with components for electric power consumption.