INESC TEC participated in the fourth edition of the International Fair of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (FIEREE), which took place in Cape Verde. The event was held in Cidade da Praia (Santiago Island), between October 12 and 14 – with the motto “Towards a fair and sustainable transition”. The MARES – an autonomous underwater vehicle developed by INESC TEC – travelled to Cape Verde, alongside three researchers who represented the institution during the event’s exhibition, as well as in one of the discussion panels.
INESC TEC’s presence at this fair represents another step to strengthen the Institute’s internationalisation strategy. “There is a clear interest, with a series of conversations taking place towards creating a living lab dedicated to smart grids, integration of renewable energy sources, and electric mobility in Cape Verde”, explained Vladimiro Miranda, associate director of INESC TEC.
The presentation of MARES at FIEREE consolidated INESC TEC’s role in ocean energy and exploration. In addition, there are currently three prototypes of electrical vehicle chargers on their way to Cape Verde; this way, the INESC TEC partners in that country will be able to promote HR training actions, as well as testing and demonstration sessions.
The MARES was showcased as a good example of transferring INESC TEC competencies to Cape Verde. We’re talking about a modular vehicle, easily reconfigurable, carrying different sensors: video, photography, sonar, magnetometer, and acoustics. This autonomous submarine allows the recording of underwater information along a pre-programmed path. With a range of about 10 hours and 100 km, these vehicles can be configured to operate in coastal or deep waters. The MARES could also play a key role in other areas: bathymetry of underwater bottoms; monitoring of submerged infrastructures; analysis of environmental impact; inspection of ocean structures, e.g., offshore wind farms.
Justino Rodrigues and Nuno Cruz, INESC TEC researchers, represented the institution throughout the event, at INESC TEC stand. Vladimiro Miranda also participated in a panel on electric mobility, within the scope of the “ECOWAS Sustainable Energy Forum” (ESEF). ESEF is one of the largest events in the ECOWAS region (West Africa); it’s an initiative of CEREEC – ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency – to support sustainable energy investments leveraged by ambitious policies promoted by West African Member States. The Government of Cape Verde was responsible for organising this year’s edition – with Vladimiro Miranda officially invited to join the discussions.
Vladimiro Miranda and Nuno Cruz also attended meetings at DNICE – National Directorate of Industry, Commerce and Energy, to further explore the collaboration between INESC TEC and the Government of Cape Verde, namely around on-shore and off-shore energy.
FIEREE featured close to 100 national and foreign exhibitors. It was the first time that INESC TEC participated as an exhibitor.
The researchers mentioned in this news piece are associated with INESC TEC and UP-FEUP.
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