The Institute of Environmental Hydraulics (IH Cantabria), a joint research center founded by the University of Cantabria and the Institute of Environmental Hydraulics Foundation, is "one of the mainstays" of the national government in this strategy of betting on renewables.
This is reflected in the latest issue of the magazine Ambienta, published by the Ministry of Environment and Rural and Marine Affairs (MARM), and which dedicates one of its contents to the great Maritime Engineering Test Tank of Cantabria, a unique facility in Spain and a world reference in marine R + D + i.
The publication, collected by Europa Press, highlights that although Spain occupies a prominent place in the research associated with living resources, the most technological areas and especially more linked to engineering have been relegated by the lack of relevant research infrastructure, subjecting Spanish researchers and companies to a high dependence on foreign science and technology.
Such, he says, is the case of facilities, laboratories and equipment related to maritime engineering, oceanography and coastal engineering, where technological dependence in this sector is very important, mainly from countries in northern Europe (Denmark, Holland, Norway), and North America (United States and Canada).
In this regard, the publication highlights that Spain needs to develop its renewable energy industry and points out that the IH Cantabria, through the new ICTS, is "one of the mainstays" of the national government in this strategy of betting on renewables.
He then adds that the large Maritime Engineering Test Tank (CCOB) must cover the need for a facility that allows providing scientific-technological knowledge, technology and services to the development of maritime engineering, both at sea -offshore- and on the coast, in Spain and internationally.
The Cantabria Coastal and Ocean Basin (CCOB), is a large maritime engineering test tank that is part of the Singular Scientific and Technological Infrastructures program of the Ministry of Science and Innovation (MICINN), in which the Government of Cantabria and the Environmental Hydraulics Institute Foundation that will be responsible for the management of the installation also participate. The construction of this infrastructure has involved an investment of 27 million euros, which are co-financed by the MICINN and the Government of Cantabria
Built in the new building of the Institute of Environmental Hydraulics of the University of Cantabria (IH Cantabria) within the Science and Technology Park of Cantabria, the CCOB has dimensions of 44 meters wide and 30 meters long. It can hold 5.5 million liters of water and simulate waves of up to 20 meters and winds of 150 kilometers per hour. It is a global conceptual design unique in the world in the field of maritime engineering. It is the first Singular Scientific technical infrastructure (ICTS) of the Community of Cantabria.
Although, essentially, the installation is framed within the scientific-technical areas of oceanographic, offshore, maritime, civil, mechanical and naval engineering, the CCOB can also focus its research on other areas such as materials engineering, renewable energies or electronic engineering. It will also promote the development of the different sectors of maritime engineering, both at sea (offshore) and on the coast, helping to increase the competitiveness of the Spanish R&D&I system.
The Institute of Environmental Hydraulics (IH Cantabria) will be the entity that will be responsible for the management of the installation. The IH Cantabria is a joint research center founded by the University of Cantabria and the Institute of Environmental Hydraulics Foundation that focuses its efforts on the field of the integral water cycle through teaching, research and technological development in the fluvial and marine environment.
It currently has more than 140 researchers. The tank's infrastructure and equipment will begin to serve the scientific community from September 2011. (EUROPA PRESS)
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