OES-Environmental distributes metadata forms (questionnaires) to solicit information from developers involved in environmental monitoring around marine renewable energy project sites around the world. This page provides project descriptions, baseline assessment, post-installation monitoring, and links to available data and reports. Content is updated on an annual basis.

PLOCAN Marine Test Site for Ocean Energy Converters

This information may be outdated, so please use caution when referencing this metadata. If you are associated with this project and capable of providing updates, please send us an email.

Description

Marine test site for emerging oceanic technologies focused on ocean energy converters. PLOCAN is a Public Consortium ruled by the Spanish Government and the Regional Government of the Canary Islands. PLOCAN is a marine scientific and technical infrastructure to facilitate the development of new oceanic technologies providing different services to the enterprises and researchers. The five strategic lines are: ocean observation, underwater vehicles, marine test site, platform of innovation and Training centre.

Note: All information provided was gathered from publicly available sources and may not be fully up-to-date.

Location

The site is located on the east coast of Gran Canaria Island of the Canary Islands in Spain. It is located at the border of the continental platform with depths between 20-600m in the Atlantic Ocean.

Licensing Information

The Regional Government of the Canary Islands was in charge of the environmental procedure. The Authorization was issued in April 2013 to install the submarine electrical infrastructure and wave energy converters.

The test site area has been authorized by the Council of Ministers agreement of 14th March 2014. This test site has a marine area of 23 km2.

Project Progress

This test site is operative for grid and non-grid connected prototypes.

Grid connection: 2 cables x 5 MW

1st cable of 5 MW: operative. 5 MW offshore wind turbine connected (since 2018)

2nd cable of 5 MW: pending to enter in operation.

Key Environmental Issues

Brief description on the most important environmental issues raised by the project (e.g. Sensitive species/habitats/areas that were of particular concern and/or received special protection) and how they were addressed.

The test site is out of sensitive areas in terms of NATURA 2000 or any National and Regional Declarations. The most interesting species detected in the area are:

  • Avrainvillea canariensis: Algae declared as “Interesting for Canary ecosystems” by the Regional Law 4/2010.
  • Mäerl: Include in the Annex V of Habitat Directive.

  • Access to the Canary Island Coastal Piloting Tool: https://www.pilotajelitoralcanario.es/ 

Papers, Reports, Research Studies

Project name: WELCOME (Wave Energy Lift Converter Multiple España)

  • Sector: Wave energy
  • Status: Finished
  • Environmental monitoring:
    • Oceanographic parameters: Temperature, Salinity, Turbidity, pH, Oxygen, Currents speed, Waves
    • Meteorological parameters: Wind speed and direction, Atmospheric pressure

 

  • Project name: UNDIGEN
    • Sector: Wave energy
    • Status: Finished
    • Environmental monitoring:
      • Temperature, Salinity, Turbidity, pH, Oxygen, Chlorophyll, Nutrients, PAHs, Submarine noise
  • Project: PivotBuoy
    • Sector: Floating Offshore Wind Energy
    • Status: Ongoing
    • Reports and deliverables:
  • Project name: Wavepiston
    • Sector: Wave energy for electricity and desalination
    • Status: Finished
    • Environmental monitoring: none available 
       

Additional information can be found at http://observatorios.plocan.eu/index.php/en/coastal-observatory

Baseline Assessment: PLOCAN Marine Test Site for Ocean Energy Converters

Receptor Study Description Design and Methods Results Status
Physical Environment Wave Conditions Waverider buoy data analysis. Average values:
• Hs = 1.05 m
Tp = 8 s
Complete
Physical Environment Marine Currents ADCP Average value:
V = 0.2 m/s 		Underway
Physical Environment Underwater Acoustic Survey Hydrophone See reports (in Spanish) Underway
Physical Environment Electromagnetic Fields Electric and magnetic field measurements Baseline level.
Report in Spanish.
 Complete
Marine Mammals Presence of Marine Mammals in the Area Review existing information. Few mammals and turtles. Report in Spanish. English summary report is pending. Complete
Human Dimensions, Fisheries Fisheries Review of existing information. Local fisheries activity. Complete
Fish Study of Fish in the Area Review of existing information. Presence of some species of sharks documented. Local fisheries activity. Complete
Invertebrates Identification of Benthic Community Video transects, previous existing information, sampling. Most interesting species:
• Avrainvillea canariensis (algae)
• Mäerl community 		Complete
Physical Environment, Water Quality Water Quality Survey conducted with multi-parameter probe: salinity, temperature, pH, turbidity, oxygen. No contamination detected. Complete
Physical Environment, Water Quality Water quality Laboratory
Sampling with oceanographic bottles. Parameters: nutrients, pigments, metals, pH, salinity, oxygen. 		No contamination detected. Completed. Planned side scan sonar.
Physical Environment, Sediment Transport Geophysical
Sediments morphology, type and quality (metals, PAHs, PCBs, Organic matter) 		Van Veen dredger to collect bottom samples. Sand, Gravels and Rocks. No contamination detected. Completed 2010 Completed 2015
Physical Environment Geophysical
Sub-bottom layers 		Sub-bottom profiler TOPAS. Unconsolidated sediment layer thickness:
1 m-10 m 		Completed 2013 Completed 2015

Post-Installation Monitoring: PLOCAN Marine Test Site for Ocean Energy Converters

Stressor Receptor Study Description Design and Methods Results Status
Changes in Flow Physical Environment Laboratory: nutrients, pigments, metals, pH, salinity, oxygen Seasonal boat based sampling with oceanographic bottles. N/A Underway
Changes in Flow Physical Environment Waves Permanent deployed wave buoy. N/A Underway
Changes in Flow Physical Environment Currents Permanent deployed ADCP.
HF radar
 N/A Planned operative
Noise Fish, Marine Mammals Monitoring noise Permanent deployed monitor noise systems. N/A Planned
EMF Fish, Invertebrates, Reptiles Electromagnetic field monitoring produced from cables and submarine station. N/A Planned
Habitat Change Marine Mammals Monitoring the Presence of Marine Mammals Visual surveys. N/A Planned
Habitat Change Fish Monitoring the Presence of Fish, Particularly Sharks Visual surveys. N/A Planned
Habitat Change Invertebrates Monitoring the Impact on Benthic Communities • ROV inspections
• Permanent underwater video cameras
Inspections with divers
N/A Planned
Changes in Flow Physical Environment In Situ: temperature, salinity, pH, oxygen, turbidity, chlorophyll Seasonal boat based survey with multi-parameter probe. N/A Underway
Changes in Flow Physical Environment In Situ: temperature, salinity, pH, oxygen, turbidity, chlorophyll Permanent deployed oceanographic buoys. N/A Planned