Power to oceanographic research

On 19 December 2022, Ingeteam’s cutting-edge technology enabled the immensity of the ocean floor to be observed close-up in a more sustainable fashion, thanks to the electrical equipment that the company is to supply to the Spanish Oceanographic Institute for Odón de Buen, which is to be Spain’s largest marine research vessel.

This highly specialised equipment features the latest technology in green propulsion, which will enable Odón de Buen (named after the founder of the Spanish Oceanographic Institute) to run in complete silence. This is essential for ocean observation and working with scientific echo-sounders. The vessel also has low CO2 emissions to minimise its impact on and disturbance of marine organisms. Ingeteam is currently manufacturing the electric motors and power converters for the vessel’s main and tunnel drive propulsion units. In all, this means six motors and six power converters with di erent ratings, enabling gas emissions into the atmosphere to be reduced. The company is also to supply the propulsion control system for the vessel, which is designed to increase the e ciency of the main and auxiliary propulsion units.

The technological solutions developed by Ingeteam for this vessel will help to make it possible for the first time to study marine ecosystems, habitats and the ocean floor anywhere in the world, including the areas around the poles, at depths in excess of 6,000m. The vessel is to be 85m long and 18m in width, with a range of 50 days. There will be room on board for a 500m2 laboratory. Its cost is close to EUR 85 million, and construction is under way at the Astilleros Armón shipyard in Vigo. The vessel is to come into service in 2025, in a further landmark in the solid links between the two companies as they seek to lead the worldwide oceanographic market. Odon de Buen will have a clearly global, multi-purpose remit. It will enable projects to be diversified in areas such as marine biology, geology and fishing, to name but a few.

Ingeteam is thus confirming the leading position that it has held for almost ten years in the design and development of innovative technological solutions for handling scientific instruments for detecting marine organisms, and in implementing silent running technologies for oceanographic vessels. The company is a pioneer in this field. It has become one of the main suppliers of components for the oceanographic vessels of the Spanish Oceanographic Institute. These components, which the Basque firm makes for low-noise motors, are fundamental in such vessels, as they emit the lowest possible level of vibrations so as to comply with specific regulations in the field and assure the preservation of the marine environment and ecosystem.

At international level, Ingeteam has participated in projects such as the Norwegian vessel Dr Fridtjof Nansen, which features an electrical propulsion system that is considerably more e cient than conventional diesel units.

Ingeteam’s recent contributions to the field of marine research include a sophisticated refit of the power converters and propulsion units of Vizconde de Eza, a long-distance vesselwith a track record of over 100 campaigns. The company also fitted a dynamic positioning system that enables the vessel to hold its position and thus take more precise observations even in poor weather.

At international level, Ingeteam has participated in projects such as the Norwegian vessel Dr Fridtjof Nansen, which features an electrical propulsion system that is considerably more e cient than conventional diesel units. It is also highly reliable, as each electro motor is powered by its own converter and the layout of equipment is flexible, which facilitates maintenance and minimises environmental impact. In short, the idea is to place cuttingedge technology at the service of the scientific community so that scientists can see (and hear) more and further, and thus continue making discoveries in the inexhaustible biodiversity that can be found in the depths of the seas and oceans around the world.

Ingeteam consists of a team of more than 4,000 people present in 24 countries, convinced that there is a di erent way to generate, transport, store, and consume energy more e ciently and sustainably, on which they will be focussing all their e orts in the coming years. The energy transition is no longer the future, it is our present, and to meet this challenge, the company has created ‘The Real Dream Team’ movement, comprised of heroes and heroines who share their dream of a world with clean energy production. The company wants to achieve this by electrifying society innovatively and sustainable using their specialist cutting-edge electrical energy conversion technology, and their more than 80 years of experience in providing creative solutions to specific problems. Ingeteam aims to consolidate its position as a leader in renewable generation (wind, solar, and hydroelectric), storage, the intelligent transport network, and the e cient and clean consumption of electrical energy via their electric vehicle chargers, converters, and motors for railway, marine, steel, water and for the production of green hydrogen and submersible pump and motors for water.

i. ingeteam.com