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This information may be outdated, so please use caution when referencing this metadata.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:

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
  • 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

Environmental Monitoring: PLOCAN Marine Test Site for Ocean Energy Converters

Phase Stressor & Receptor Design and Methods Results
Baseline Changes in Flow

Physical Environment, Water Quality 		Water quality
Laboratory
Sampling with oceanographic bottles. Parameters: nutrients, pigments, metals, pH, salinity, oxygen. 		Completed. Planned side scan sonar.
No contamination detected.
Baseline Changes in Flow

Physical Environment, Sediment Transport 		Geophysical
Sediments morphology, type and quality (metals, PAHs, PCBs, Organic matter)
Van Veen dredger to collect bottom samples. 		Completed 2010 Completed 2015
Sand, Gravels and Rocks. No contamination detected.
Baseline Changes in Flow

Physical Environment 		Geophysical
Sub-bottom layers
Sub-bottom profiler TOPAS. 		Completed 2013 Completed 2015
Unconsolidated sediment layer thickness:
1 m-10 m
Baseline Changes in Flow

Physical Environment 		Wave Conditions
Waverider buoy data analysis. 		Complete
Average values:
• Hs = 1.05 m
Tp = 8 s
Baseline Changes in Flow

Physical Environment 		Marine Currents
ADCP 		Underway
Average value:
V = 0.2 m/s
Baseline Changes in Flow

Physical Environment 		Underwater Acoustic Survey
Hydrophone 		Underway
See reports (in Spanish)
Baseline EMF

Physical Environment 		Electromagnetic Fields
Electric and magnetic field measurements 		Complete
Baseline level.
Report in Spanish.
Baseline Marine Mammals Presence of Marine Mammals in the Area
Review existing information. 		Complete
Few mammals and turtles. Report in Spanish. English summary report is pending.
Baseline Human Dimensions, Fisheries Fisheries
Review of existing information. 		Complete
Local fisheries activity.
Baseline Fish Study of Fish in the Area
Review of existing information. 		Complete
Presence of some species of sharks documented. Local fisheries activity.
Baseline Habitat Change

Invertebrates 		Identification of Benthic Community
Video transects, previous existing information, sampling. 		Complete
Most interesting species:
• Avrainvillea canariensis (algae)
• Mäerl community
Baseline Changes in Flow

Physical Environment, Water Quality 		Water Quality
Survey conducted with multi-parameter probe: salinity, temperature, pH, turbidity, oxygen. 		Complete
No contamination detected.
Post-Installation Monitoring Habitat Change

Fish 		Monitoring the Presence of Fish, Particularly Sharks
Visual surveys. 		Planned
N/A
Post-Installation Monitoring Habitat Change

Invertebrates 		Monitoring the Impact on Benthic Communities
• ROV inspections
• Permanent underwater video cameras
Inspections with divers
Planned
N/A
Post-Installation Monitoring Changes in Flow

Physical Environment 		In Situ: temperature, salinity, pH, oxygen, turbidity, chlorophyll
Seasonal boat based survey with multi-parameter probe. 		Underway
N/A
Post-Installation Monitoring Changes in Flow

Physical Environment 		In Situ: temperature, salinity, pH, oxygen, turbidity, chlorophyll
Permanent deployed oceanographic buoys. 		Planned
N/A
Post-Installation Monitoring Changes in Flow

Physical Environment 		Laboratory: nutrients, pigments, metals, pH, salinity, oxygen
Seasonal boat based sampling with oceanographic bottles. 		Underway
N/A
Post-Installation Monitoring Changes in Flow

Physical Environment 		Waves
Permanent deployed wave buoy. 		Underway
N/A
Post-Installation Monitoring Changes in Flow

Physical Environment 		Currents
Permanent deployed ADCP.
HF radar
 Planned operative
N/A
Post-Installation Monitoring Noise

Fish, Marine Mammals 		Monitoring noise
Permanent deployed monitor noise systems. 		Planned
N/A
Post-Installation Monitoring EMF

Fish, Invertebrates, Reptiles 		Planned
N/A
Post-Installation Monitoring Habitat Change

Marine Mammals 		Monitoring the Presence of Marine Mammals
Visual surveys. 		Planned
N/A