PLOCAN has installed an acoustic current profiler in the southeast waters of Gran Canaria in order to study the behaviour of ocean and current conditions in the area. This study is included in the activities of the “Macaronesian Platform for advancing R&D excellence in water desalination and in knowledge of the link between desalinated water and energy” (DESAL+) project, which objective is to promote research, technological development and innovation.
The DESAL+ project belongs to the first call of the Territorial Co-operation Programme INTERREG V-A Spain-Portugal MAC 2014-2020 and is coordinated by the Technological Institute of the Canary Islands (ITC). PLOCAN participates in the activity “Joint development of research projects in desalination and its energy self-sufficiency”, analyzing and identifying possible susceptible marine areas for the use of renewable marine energies and their future application to desalination systems.
In order to develop this activity it is necessary to characterize previously the oceanographic conditions of the possible areas where these R&D&i projects can be integrated. Therefore, an ADCP has been installed at a depth of 30 meters in the southeast of Gran Canaria to monitor the waves and currents in one of the pilot areas identified in the framework of the project.
Marine renewable energies play a key role in the development of the Blue Economy in the Canary Islands, promoting economic growth and fostering the sustainable development of the archipelago.