Open Sea Lab - MERIC | Open Sea Lab - MERIC

Open Sea Lab - MERIC
Open Sea Lab - MERIC
Lead Organisation Energía Marina SpA & Marine Energy Research & Innovation Center (MERIC)
Country Chile
Type Wave, Current
Website https://www.meric.cl/ https://lascrucesem.cl/
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  • Type of Testing Wave, Current
    Year Established 2015
    Temperate/Tropical Temperate
    Commercial/Array/Full scale/Scale Full scale
    Development Status Under construction

    Overview

    Open Sea Lab offshore system involves a WEC full scale device, model Power Buoy 3 from the US company Ocean Power Technologies, 1 ADCP, 2 CTDOs. The onshore systems include 1 X band radar, 1 wifi antenna, 2 ups, 2 servers and 2 keyboardmonitors.
    This projects aims to assess power production from wave energy in Chilean waters, besides monitor and measure different oceamet parameters that will help to a better understanding of Chilean seas and the conditions at which power production is being done.
  • Number of Berths
    Water Depth 35m
    Min Water Depth (m)
    Max Water Depth (m)
    Avg Water Depth (m) 35
    Annual mean significant wave height 1.5 - 2.5 m
    Maximum recorded wave height
    Mean (averaged current speed)
    Maximum current speed
    Maximum tidal range 3 m
    Mean wind speed 9 - 10.5 m/s
    Max wind speed
    Seabed type Sand
    Total test area (km2) 0.25
    Distance to land 1 km
    Grid connected N
    Grid connection capacity
    Rated export capacity and connection
    Proximity to nearest harbour (km) 20

  • Demonstration Projects

    R&D Projects

    1. Resource assessment and site characterization
    2. Marine Corrosion
    3. Biofouling
    4. MRE technologies adaptation to local constraints
    5. ORE technology integration

    Infrastructure

    SCADA
    Onshore sensors and facilites: 1 weather station, 1 X-Band radar, 1 Wifi antenna, 2 racks with 1 ups, 1 server and 1 keyboard-monitor
    each,1 office space

    Equipment available to support site deployments

    1 ADCP
    2 CTDOs
    1 X-band radar
    1 weather station
    1 sea level station
    6 load pins

    Services of test programmes offered on site

    ocean and marine instrument testing, permitting support, community & stakeholders engagement, small scale technologies testing,
    biofouling/biocorrosion test bench at sea and simulated marine conditions in lab nearby (1 km far)