The Lehendakari highlights the Basque Country’s potential in marine energy generation

• Iñigo Urkullu inaugurated the Ocean Conference on Ocean Energy, which brought together international experts in ocean energy in Donostia
• BIMEP (Biscay Marine Energy Platform)—with its two sites in Armintza and Mutriku—is an international reference in marine energy research in Europe.

The Lehendakari highlighted the Basque Country's potential to produce marine energy and assured that the transition to new forms of energy generation and the improvement of efficiency are a priority challenge 2for our present and future well-being”. Iñigo Urkullu was in charge of inaugurating the Ocean Conference on Ocean Energy, which brought together ocean energy professionals and decision makers from all over the world in Donostia.

At this international forum, the Lehendakari began his speech by describing the milestones that demonstrate the Basque Country’s commitment to energy efficiency, among which he highlighted the creation—40 years ago—of the Basque Energy Agency-EVE (which has mobilised 2,400 million euros) and the 50% reduction in emissions by Basque industry over the last 15 years.

On marine energy, Iñigo Urkullu highlighted the potential of the Basque coast to generate a new productive sector, capable of creating its own technology and exporting it, and assured that the BIMEP (Biscay Marine Energy Platform)—with its two sites in Armintza and Mutriku)—is an international benchmark in marine energy research in Europe. Mutriku is, as he recalled, a unique plant in Europe and the only commercial plant of its kind in the world to have produced electricity continuously since 2011. 

At this point, he presented the three new initiatives that the Basque Country is going to present at this congress: Europewave, a consortium in which, together with WES (Wave Energy Scotland) and the European Commission, it is going to proceed with the pre-commercial purchase of wave capturing devices; Turbowave, in which the Basque Country will tender for the development of latest generation turbines for the Mutriku wave energy plant; and a multi-year aid programme to promote investments for the demonstration and validation of marine renewable technologies. 

“This Congress is returning to a Basque Country that has made progress in the marine energy sector”, he concluded.