Spanish research centre Tecnalia has connected its HarshLab floating offshore laboratory to the Biscay Marine Energy Platform’s (BIMEP) underwater electrical grid, enabling full-scale testing of offshore equipment in open-sea conditions.
The organisation said the link is made through an umbilical cable routed to the seabed grid at more than 60 metres’ depth. According to Tecnalia, the new connection will support real-time trials of mechanical and electrical systems under extreme marine conditions while allowing continuous data collection. The company said the HarshLab can also serve as a grid-compatible connection point for offshore power-generation devices operating at the test site.
Tecnalia said the laboratory integrates artificial intelligence, numerical models and operational data to optimise prototype design, efficiency and safety. The facility, described by the centre as “Europe’s largest floating test laboratory,” has an 8.5-metre diameter, a height of 7 metres and a 120-square-metre deck area. It enables testing in atmospheric, submerged, splash and internal environments, as well as on the seabed at 65 metres.
The research centre said the grid connection strengthens its role in offshore technology development. “Grid connection reinforces our position as a benchmark in offshore innovation,” Tecnalia noted in the statement.
