The innovation project Neptune, supported by KIC InnoEnergy Iberia, launched for the first time its buoy into the sea for testing on last Wednesday, May 22nd, at the “Pont del Petroli” in Badalona, Spain.
The main objective was to compare a fixed buoy´s wind measurement data -located at a nearby pier- with the sea located buoy´s, so as to detect any measurements variations produced by the waves´ movement.
In the morning, the buoy was first pulled by a boat from the Port Forum in Barcelona, and finally moored by the Pont del Petroli, in an activity carried out by the members of the Maritime Engineering Laboratory (LIM) that lasted about 3 hours. The event was attended by the local media.
The Neptune project is a combination of hardware and software that will provide an affordable, accurate and reliable offshore data source based on the development of two main products: the Eolos LIDAR buoy, for reliable meteo oceanographic measurements, and the NEPTool: a High accuracy hindcast and forecast software tool. Together, they will help reduce the costs of offshore wind measurements and the uncertainties in the long-term energy production estimations. Thus, they will facilitate the project bankability due to the reduction of financial risks.
The project´s consortia is made up of the Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (CIEMAT), Gas Natural Fenosa, Institut de Recerca d´Energia de Catalunya (IREC), Laboratori d´Enginyeria Marítima (LIM), Remote Sense Laboratory (RSLAB) and Soluciones Ingeniería Marítima Operacional (SIMO).
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Press release, May 30, 2013; Image: kic-innoenergy