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.

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.

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.

With the aim of showing the international press the capabilities of the Basque wind power sector throughout the entire value chain, on Friday, 20 April a group of reporters working with Borsen (Denmark), Süddeutsche Zeitung (Germany), Agence France Presse, Nikkei and Polska Agencja Prasowa, amongst others, visited WINDBOX, the first Wind Power Advanced Manufacturing Centre of the Basque Country, located in the facilities of IK4-Tekniker in Eibar.

The company Nautilus invited the Basque Energy Cluster to attend the workshop in Trondheim (Norway) and give a presentation on the capabilities of Basque companies in the offshore wind sector, and more specifically on those that are positioned to develop floating foundation solutions for wind turbines.

On 7th March, the Basque Energy Cluster organised, in conjunction with Shesa (Sociedad de Hidrocarburos de Euskadi), a business visit to the Viura project's gas deposit in Sotés, La Rioja. The visit was of special interest for companies of the Oil and Gas sector in the Basque Country, which were given the opportunity to discover first-hand a unique infrastructure for the conventional exploration and production of gas.

(El Diario Vasco - Fernando Segura) In the report, the HARSH Project consortium reveals the details to promote the off-shore platform in which the parts produced can be tested against salinity and other corrosive agents. The project is financed by the Basque Government's Department for Economic Development and Infrastructures (HAZITEK Programme) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

(DEIA Bizkaia, Asier Diez Mon's interview with José Ignacio Hormaeche; Photography by Borja Guerrero) Without wanting to celebrate too early, Hormaeche has confirmed that there has been a change of cycle in the Basque energy sector, which has gained strength abroad.

The event took place on 23 November at the Gipuzkoa Science and Technology Park - Orona Fundazioa, and over 40 representatives of the sector attended.

On 20th July, Ricardo Chocarro, CEO for South Europe and Africa of the new Siemens Gamesa, presented the challenges faced by the new company after the merger to consolidate its position on the wind market and the supply chain role in the new broad market of Siemens Gamesa, at the Chamber of Commerce of Gipuzkoa (Donostia-San Sebastian).