Bilbao School of Engineering welcomes National Geographic Spain Subscribers

The Bilbao School of Engineering hosted 50 subscribers of National Geographic Spain on April 25th, accompanied by a team from the Energy Department of the University of the Basque Country and Gonçalo Pereira, Director of National Geographic Spain and Portugal.

The “ExperienciaNG” day was divided into two parts: a practical workshop at the wave flume and a technical visit to the Mutriku wave power plant.

In the morning, attendees took part in a practical workshop at the Fluid Mechanics Laboratory of the Bilbao School of Engineering. The laboratory features a 25-metre-long wave flume, enabling experimental analysis of wave interactions. During the session, participants designed and built their own oscillating water column (OWC) chamber models using LEGO bricks. These prototypes were tested in the wave tank, where visitors observed how different geometries influenced wave amplification, supported by measurements obtained through resistive probes.

In the afternoon, the group visited the Mutriku wave power plant, where they saw how the concepts explored in the laboratory are applied in practice. Commissioned in 2011, Mutriku is the world’s first commercial wave power plant integrated into a breakwater, operating with oscillating water column technology to generate renewable energy.

This initiative aims to bring marine renewable energy closer to the public and highlight the role of scientific research and technological innovation in advancing sustainable energy solutions.

The participants were also interested to learn about the European Erasmus + project LEADERSHIP4Skills that was presented as part of the visit. The session highlighted the main objectives, ongoing activities, and progress achieved within the project.