A quarter scale prototype wave energy rig has been installed by Iberdrola and Technalia off the northern coast of Spain, close to the town of Pasajes. The unit, which has been installed as part of the €4.5m Oceantec Project, will now undergo several months of testing before the project moves on to install full-size commercial units.

The full size units will have a power output of 500 kilowatts (kW) and should be able to produce enough electricity annually to supply about 950 homes.

According to Iberdrola the Oceantec Project will enable the generation of business from the development of a renewable energy source, create opportunities for industrial growth and restructuring in the Basque Country and support the use of the energy resource on the coast of this autonomous region.