Bridging Research, Innovation, and Development at ORION’s 4th Consortium Meeting

The ORION consortium gathered in Porto for its 4th Consortium Meeting, hosted by INOVA+ in Matosinhos from June 30th to July 2nd. All 12 partners, spanning 4 continents, attended in person. This strong turnout reflects how much value the team places on face-to-face meetings. The global convergence brought together diverse expertise and perspectives united by a shared commitment to advancing ocean renewable energy technologies.

The meeting opened with partners reviewing progress across all work packages, with insightful updates on achievements, challenges, and next steps. The presentations sparked rich discussion and strong collaboration, establishing clear alignment on upcoming deliverables and task deadlines. These moments are essential for a project with such globally distributed partnerships. Coming together to align on priorities, share knowledge, and build trust is what keeps a project like ORION moving forward.

The first day also featured two workshops led by RWTH Aachen and AugmentCity. The AugmentCity session proved especially valuable, giving partners the chance to explore the project’s digital twin platform directly. This hands-on experience allowed consortium members to understand how the tool functions in practice, transforming abstract technical concepts into tangible demonstrations that all participants could engage with and learn from.

The meeting on day 2 afternoon then transitioned from the conference room into the field. Partners travelled to Aguçadoura to visit CEO (Companhia da Energia Oceânica), a marine renewable energy research facility situated north of Porto. At this operational test site, the team learned about CEO’s role in testing and validating wave and floating wind energy solutions. The visit provided an opportunity to explore the facility’s infrastructure and ask detailed questions about the tools and methodologies that underpin cutting-edge marine energy research.

David Volk of Sigma Energy highlighted the strategic importance of the Aguçadoura site visit. The facility stands out for combining commercial-scale wave conditions with grid connection, a rare combination in Europe. “We were really fortunate to visit the Aguçadoura test site during our fourth ORION consortium meeting. The site has waves like a proper commercial-scale deployment site and is grid-connected, one of few such sites in Europe. It was fantastic to chat with the CEO team and see the facilities in person.” For consortium members working on marine renewable technologies, such field experiences transform theoretical development into practical understanding of real-world deployment.

The final day took the consortium on a comprehensive tour of research facilities at the Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto (FEUP). The group visited the Hydraulics Laboratory, led by Paulo Rosa Santos, where they learned about the work of the Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR). This institution hosts a dedicated Marine Energy and Hydraulic Structures research group, bringing specialized expertise in ocean energy systems and hydraulic engineering together. They also toured a high-voltage systems laboratory, featuring a fully earthed test chamber where researchers study electrical discharge phenomena and validate the safety protocols essential for high-voltage systems research.

The tour culminated at INESC TEC’s Smart Grids and Electric Vehicles Laboratory, where Tatiana Pontual Guedes and her team presented their x-Energy research facility. This laboratory operates as a flexible research environment where multiple generation sources, loads, energy storage systems, amplifiers, and cable emulators can be seamlessly integrated to simulate complex microgrids. The facility’s advanced measurement system feeds into a SCADA platform, enabling continuous monitoring and detailed analysis of microgrid behavior in realistic conditions.

Beyond microgrid research, the INESC TEC team showcased their work on hydrogen electrolyzers from the perspective of power systems and power electronics. This research explores how electrolyzers can function as controllable electrical loads, examining converter architectures, current control, dynamic response, and power quality. The research also investigates how electrolyzers can contribute to grid flexibility, support renewable energy integration, and participate in ancillary services. Additionally, the laboratory maintains an advanced e-mobility research setup encompassing AC, DC, and wireless charging systems integrated into a DC microgrid, alongside an EV emulator for testing both power delivery and digital communication. The work addresses smart charging strategies, vehicle-to-grid capabilities, and ISO 15118 digital communication standards, areas increasingly critical as electric vehicles become integral to the energy transition.

The Porto meeting reinforced ORION’s vision: advancing the global energy transition through digital innovation applied to renewable energy systems. By combining rigorous technical reviews, hands-on digital twin workshops, field visits to operational facilities, and exposure to cutting-edge research infrastructure, the consortium bridges the gap between theoretical development and practical implementation. These in-person gatherings ensure that ORION’s digital components address real challenges across the renewable energy value chain, driving sustainable energy solutions across four continents.