Welcome to our 3rd newsletter!
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AquaWind - Innovative multi-use prototype
combining offshore renewable energy and
aquaculture in the Atlantic Basin
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First half of the project attained
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AquaWind has reached the first half of
its duration (18 months), and we are
excited to welcome you to the third
edition of our newsletter! Here, you
will be able to dive into our news,
developments, and achievements in the
world of marine energy and aquaculture.
Also, you will learn more about the
project’s latest technological
breakthroughs, outcomes, and events.
Find out how AquaWind is making a
difference by addressing challenges and
creating innovative solutions that are
transforming the sustainable energy and
aquaculture landscape. Join us on this
exciting journey towards a more
sustainable future and discover how,
together, we are redefining the
boundaries of integration between
offshore wind and aquaculture!
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Technical inspection to the W2Power
prototype
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Recently, project teams from EnerOcean,
the University of Las Palmas de Gran
Canaria, and the Regional Government of
the Canary Islands have met at the Las
Palmas harbour for a
technical inspection of the W2Power
prototype.
In the past few months, EnerOcean
engineers, supported by the project
consortium, have been working on the
upgraded design and technical aspects
of the wind-aquaculture hybridization in the AquaWind W2Power prototype. The
reviewed specifications have focused
mainly on pilot site location, load
cases, mooring systems, wind turbines,
and structural floaters.
In parallel, partners have been working
on the definition of relevant
procedures to be followed by the
shipyard and the prototype's
operators, so the project will be able to
successfully conduct the
wind-aquaculture pilot demonstrator in a
real-world environment.
Operation protocols have also been established for
coordinating the installation of the
W2Power and the aquaculture cage in
order to carry out the tests at sea
planned for autumn 2024.
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Aquaculture prototype: setting up and
testing the aquaculture cage
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In parallel with the W2Power offshore
wind turbine's upgrade, the ECOAQUA
Institute of the University of Las
Palmas de Gran Canaria has been driving
the revolution in
offshore aquaculture
with an innovative cage
prototype. This prototype will soon be tested to
carry out pilot trials with various
local marine species, like the
amberjack, exploring the integration of
aquaculture with offshore wind,
assessing the biological, engineering,
and design aspects, as well as the
social and environmental impacts of this
initiative.
The aquaculture
cage prototype presents a
revolutionary design of an octagonal
cage with an inner diameter of 5 metres. The
cage is made of a
copper alloy net that addresses
the
challenges of durability and
efficiency
and has a
surface area of 100 m2.
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This week, the ECOAQUA team has
successfully managed to install the
aquaculture cage on water within the
research and development area of the
Taliarte harbour in Gran Canaria, Spain.
In collaboration withthe project partners,
CANEXMAR and the Canary Islands’ Ocean
Platform (PLOCAN), the
next phase of testing with live fish is eagerly awaited and
will mark a transformative moment in the
quest for efficient and sustainable
aquaculture practices.
The aquaculture developments emerging
from AquaWind will allow for the
promotion of new research supporting
innovation and growth in the blue
economy of the region, also in line
with the
Canary Islands' Smart
Specialisation Strategy.
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Unlocking Potential: AquaWind's
Journey to Promote Multi-Use
Concepts
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The AquaWind project has implemented
stakeholder engagement actions to
gather community perceptions of
multi-use projects and raise awareness
of their barriers, opportunities, and
potential benefits.
One of the actions promoted by
AquaWind is a
stakeholder consultation to gather
feedback on the acceptability of the
multi-use projects.
To this end, the project has developed
and launched a pre-demonstration
survey, which investigated. The survey
has been hosted on the European
Commission's EU SURVEY tool.
In addition, a shortened version has
been created to conduct face-to-face
interviews with local stakeholders at
the various events in which AquaWind
has participated in the last few
months.
Almost 60 replies to the survey have
been collected from different
stakeholder groups, thanks to the
efforts of our project partners and
our dissemination activities. Next
steps include analysing the results
and fine-tuning the survey to relaunch
it after the pilot demonstration phase
in early 2025.
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We have participated in several key
events, engaging with
fellow enthusiasts, fishery
communities, businesses, policy
makers, and experts who share our
passion for marine sustainable
innovation.
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AquaWind at Offshore Wind Congress,
Strengthening Spain’s Technological
Hub
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AquaWind proudly participated in the
Offshore Wind Congress in Las Palmas
de Gran Canaria, last 7th and 8th
November 2023, consolidating Spain's
position as a technological and
industrial benchmark in offshore wind
energy. Discover the details of this
exciting event that drives
technological advancement.
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NAVALIA MEETING 2023 was another
perfect setting to successfully spread
the message and purpose of AquaWind to
its diverse and influential audience,
as it welcomed over 300 professionals
and featured 30 distinguished
speakers. The event was organised with
the support from AquaWind partner
Maritime Cluster of the Canary
Islands.
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AquaWind Project’s Engaging
Participation in World Aquaculture
Day Professional Sessions
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On 30th November 2023, the AquaWind
project team had the opportunity to
participate in the “Professional
Sessions of World Aquaculture Day”,
hosted by our project partner
University of Las Palmas de Gran
Canaria, through its ECOAQUA
Institute. The event focused on
crucial topics related to worldwide
aquaculture and sustainability.
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AquaWind Project Showcases
Innovations at Canarian Blue Economy
Event
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The AquaWind project took centre stage
on December 13, 2023, at the
“Strategic Smart Specialisation in the
Canary Islands and Blue Economy”
event, presided over by the Government
of the Canary Islands. The event aimed
to highlight scientific and
technological capabilities in the Blue
Economy, expand the Smart
Specialisation community, and showcase
research & innovation
initiatives from the Canary Islands,
like AquaWind.
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WindEurope’s Annual Event 2024 is
Set to ignite Bilbao with
Insights, Innovation, and
Unrivalled Networking
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Get ready for the wind energy event
of the year in Bilbao! From March
20–22, 2024, the WindEurope Annual
Event promises to captivate with
over 40 sessions and 250 speakers
spanning policy, industry, finance,
education, and more. Some of our
project partners (EnerOcean and
Wavec) will attend this important
event. Don't miss the dynamic trade
fair, with European market updates
and informative talks on the Future
Energy System Stage.
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2023 Barometer of Blue Economy
Activity in the Canary
Islands
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The Blue Economy Barometer in the
Canary Islands 2023 has been
launched officially. This report,
published every two years, provides
a detailed overview of the blue
sectors, actors, and main activities
in the Canary Islands, evidencing an
increase in post-pandemic activity
compared to 2020, even surpassing
2019 values in key sectors such as
port and nautical tourism. Find out
more about this essential report for
competitiveness and technological
modernization!
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EU’s Progress Towards UN
Sustainable Development Goals: A
Mixed Bag for “Life Below
Water”
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The European Commission has presented
a report on its implementation of the
UN Sustainable Development Goals,
highlighting progress and challenges
on SDG 14, "Underwater Life." The EU
highlights achievements in sustainable
fisheries and marine protected areas
but acknowledges challenges such as
pollution and acidification. It has
also reinforced commitment to global
ocean protection through Eu key
initiatives such as the Biodiversity
Strategy and the Marine Action Plan.
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Next steps for the project: W2Power and
aquaculture tests in Gran Canaria
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Upon the successful completion of the
first half of the project, the AquaWind
consortium is working hard to finalise
all needed adjustments to the MU W2Power
prototype to be able to deploy it on
water. The latest technical work will
entail electrical updates to the wind
engine and further ICT integration.
It is planned that the
W2Power prototype alone will be put
on the water at the PLOCAN test site
in late spring 2024. In parallel, from March 2024, fish testing for
the aquaculture system
will be carried out by the ULPGC
research team at the Taliarte harbour.
On March 12th and 13th, the consortium
will gather together in its
annual project meeting
in Gran Canaria to discuss the results
achieved so far and prepare for the next
relevant phases.
The combined technology (offshore energy
and aquaculture) will be later tested
offshore in September 2024. The aim will
be to demonstrate the functioning of the
co-located and MU-integrated solution
and to assess its economic,
environmental, and social viability.
Stay tuned to learn more about these
important technological milestones and
keep up to date with the latest news and
events related to our project. Visit us
to follow innovation in real time and be
part of our community!
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Co-funded by the European Union under
Grant Agreement No 101077600. Views
and opinions expressed are however
those of the author(s) only and do not
necessarily reflect those of the
European Climate, Infrastructure and
Environment Executive Agency (CINEA).
Neither the European Union nor the
granting authority can be held
responsible for them.
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2023 © All rights reserved
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Promoting the sustainable blue
economy: EMFAF Flagship call 2021
projects – a year on
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