The lab is partly funded by the Basque Government and enables testing of new materials and solutions against corrosion, ageing and fouling in the marine environment, in real conditions that are monitored on site. It meets the specific needs of Basque companies that want to increase their offshore energy business. Companies such as Erreka, Credeblug, Ditrel, Navacel, Tubacex, Vicinay, Nem Solutions and Sasyma Coatings will be the first to test their solutions, as part of an initiative promoted by the Basque Energy Cluster.

From 2nd to 4th July, two representatives from the Saudi Electricity Company and Dubai Electricity & Water Authority held several meetings and visited companies from the Basque energy sector, fundamentally focussed on two strategic areas for the Basque Energy Cluster: electricity grids and solar energy (photovoltaic and CSP).

During the event attended by over 1,200 international participants, the Oil&Gas Basque Industry brand was presented for the first time, grouping together the main companies in this value chain in the Basque Country.

The session organised by the Basque Energy Cluster working with the CDTI, NEDO and JWPA aimed to exchange offshore wind power experience and skills with Japan, referring to both fixed foundation versions and the emerging alternative of a floating platform. The sessions focussed on technology and pioneering projects throughout the world, such as the Wikinger project, by Iberdrola, or the Hywind Scotland project, the world’s first floating wind farm, by Norway’s Equinor, in which many Basque companies have taken part.

The Basque Energy Cluster held its General Assembly meeting for 2018 in the Bizkaia Technology Park, weighing up 2017 that was positive on the whole. Another year on, the key for Basque companies in the energy sector has been the growing development of investment in renewable energy in most international markets and our companies’ good competitive positioning in these markets. On a less encouraging note, difficulties were raised among Oil&Gas sector supplier companies, whose investments have continued to suffer due to the low price of oil.

ICOE, the most important biennial conference in the marine energy sector, took place this year in Cherbourg at the same time as the sector's annual exhibition in France, Seanergy, from 12 to 14 June 2018. More than 1,200 people from all over the world took part in this international event. It gathered the main companies, institutions and cluster associations working in the marine energy sector.

During a mission coordinated by the ECCP, the Basque Energy Cluster talked about the strengths of the Basque wind power sector at an offshore wind power seminar organised as part of the European Innovation Week in Taiwan. It also met with several of the country's main entities involved in the development of marine energy, as part of the activities planned for the European ELBE project.

On 6 June, Enerclub, the Spanish Energy Club, presented the book “Energía y Ciudades (“Energy and Cities”) in Bilbao. The event, sponsored by Iberdrola, took place in the Torre Iberdrola's auditorium and was attended by representatives of Iberdrola, the Basque Energy Agency (EVE), Bilbao City Council and the Basque Energy Cluster, as well as 50 other people.

The tender is divided into two phases. The first is aimed at the selection of promoters and developers interested in participating in the initiative and the exhibition of the demonstrator projects. The second phase, planned for the end of September, will focus on the proposal of innovative solutions by the value chain.

The Wind Energy Basque Country stand will showcase the capabilities of Basque companies at AWEA WINDPOWER, the leading wind power event in the US, which takes place this year from 7 to 10 May in Chicago. The aim is to support the positioning of Basque wind power companies as suppliers of high value-added systems, components and services to the burgeoning US market.