On 12th September, the inauguration meeting of the managing committee of the COST Action no. CA17105 entitled "A pan-European Network for Marine Renewable Energy with Focus on Wave Energy” (WECANet) was held in the office of the European Cooperation in Science and Technology Association in Brussels.

The Maritime University of Szczecin was represented by Leszek Chybowski, PhD. Eng., a staff member of the Institute of Marine Power Plant Operation of the Faculty of Marine Engineering.

Other participants of the meeting included Małgorzata Robakiewicz from the Institute of Hydroengineering of the Polish Academy of Sciences as well as representatives of member countries which adopted the Memorandum of Understanding.

The purpose of the above mentioned COST action is the development of marine renewable energy in the European Union with a special focus on the processing of sea and ocean wave energy. As a result of the Action, a cooperation network of universities, research institutes and companies has been established associating over 100 units from 26 countries with a view to exchange knowledge in the above mentioned area and carry out scientific and research cooperation.

During the meeting, Vicky Stratigaki, PhD. Eng. from the University in Ghent was elected the Chair of the WECANet Action,  whereas Matthew Folley from the Queens University in Belfast was elected the Vice Chair. Moreover, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki was selected as the institution being the COST programme grant recipient. The representative of the university is Professor Evangelia Loukogeorgaki. In addition, functional representatives for communication, short scientific trips and equality were elected as well as leaders of the working groups.

 

As agreed, the WECANet Action is to consist of four working groups focused on:

• Hydrodynamic numerical modelling;
• Model experimental research;
• Technical aspects (reliability, operability, materials, etc.) related to wave energy processing;
• Non-technical aspects (social, economic, legal, environmental, etc.) related to wave energy processing.

The results of the research conducted during the Action will be disseminated during conferences related to the subject and in scientific publications.  The Action constitutes a solid foundation for the implementation of international projects, including those financed from the resources of the European Commission from the Horizon Europe programme. Sea and ocean wave energy has not been harnessed successfully by a human being so far. 

The Action website: http://www.cost.eu/COST_Actions/ca/CA17105?parties
More information available on the website of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education: https://www.nauka.gov.pl/cost/czym-sa-akcje-cost.html