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PRIMRE/Databases/Projects Database/Test Sites/Biscay Marine Energy Platform (BiMEP)
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Biscay Marine Energy Platform (BiMEP)
Situated off the Basque coast of Armintza in the North of Spain the Biscay Marine Energy Platform (BiMEP) is an open-sea facility to support research, technical testing and commercial demonstration of pre-commercial prototype utility-scale floating Marine Renewable Energy Devices or MREDs. BiMEP provides manufacturers of such devices with ready-to-use facilities to validate their designs and to test their technical and economic feasibility. BiMEP occupies a 5.3 km2 marked area excluded for navigation and maritime traffic and located at a minimum distance of 1,700 m from shore, close enough for fast access. The water depth in this area ranges from 50 to 90 m. The total power of 20 MW is distributed over four offshore connection points of 5 MW each. Each berth is connected to the onshore substation via a dedicated three-phase submarine cable in series with a land three-phase line, both at 13.2 kV. The onshore electricity substation houses electrical protection systems, measurement systems and transformer, allowing the berths to be connected up to the national power grid. The berths are fitted with commercial power and fibre optic connectors to enable swift connection and disconnection of MREDs.
Additional Information
Device Status
Is the test site actively testing or in planning (active)? Or is it permanently closed for business (inactive)?
Active
Energy Resource
- Wave
Duration
2008 -
Ongoing
Max Load Capacity
The maximum amount of electricity that can be accommodated at the test site, based on cable capacity.
20 MW
Grid Connectivity
Grid Connected
Number of Berths
4
Waterbody
Armintzako Senadia, Spain
Site Characteristics
Geographic characterization for the test site location:
- Open Ocean: Main body of ocean, not enclosed or partially enclosed by land
- Coastal: Open water near the coast, spanning between land and shelf boundary
- Enclosed Bay: water that is partially surrounded by land, with a mouth open to larger water
- Constricted Channel: A channel where water flows quickly due to narrowing by the land
- River: Water flowing from land towards a larger body of water
Coastal
Country
Spain
Environmental Details
Last Modified
18 April 2025
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Citation Formats
“Biscay Marine Energy Platform (BiMEP).” Marine Energy Projects Database: Test Sites, PRIMRE, United States Department of Energy, https://openei.org/wiki/PRIMRE/Databases/Projects_Database/Test_Sites/Biscay_Marine_Energy_Platform_(BiMEP). Accessed <day> <monthRoman> <year>.
Marine Energy Projects Database: Test Sites. <year>. "Biscay Marine Energy Platform (BiMEP)." Accessed <monthRoman> <day>, <year>. https://openei.org/wiki/PRIMRE/Databases/Projects_Database/Test_Sites/Biscay_Marine_Energy_Platform_(BiMEP).
