B4 - Multi-purpose hybrid systems for ORE and ocean resources
B - Fluid-structure Seabed Interaction
Challenges/Opportunities
Under-utilisation of the available ORE and ocean resources, and high cost of trialling new applications in isolation.
Solution
Hybrid systems exploiting more than one ORE or ocean resource, raising utilisation of ocean infrastructure including floating platforms and export cables.
Context and Need
For all offshore renewable energy technologies there are significant costs and design challenges that are associated with the site location and metocean conditions rather than directly with power generation. This includes power export from an offshore location; access to offshore infrastructure with acceptably low risk and provision of a floating or fixed supporting structure. Co-location of devices for generating power from more multiple ORE resources on the same sub-structures, or at the same site, offers the potential for improved economics of power generation from a given site.
Challenges to such integration include:
- Combining ORE technologies that are at differing stages of development and for which power generation per device may differ by factors of four or more.
- Combining ORE technologies with other ocean resources, such as desalination, aquaculture, energy storage, engineering habitat
Summary
Multi-use platforms may be platforms supporting both wave and offshore wind, offshore wind and tidal stream devices or integration of wave energy devices within sea walls and defences. Also includes the sharing of sea space and infrastructure with oil and gas structures or aquaculture.
Impact Potential
Potential for significant reduction of overall CAPEX (per unit of energy).
Potential for increased environmental acceptance by limiting sites exploited.
Potential for some reduction of operating risk and OPEX.
Research Summary
Links to Industry Priorities:
- Offshore Wind Innovation Hub - Substructures innovation priorities
- Offshore Wind Innovation Hub roadmap data - design for marine life and aquaculture
- Offshore Wind Innovation Hub roadmap data - combined WEC and WTG floating foundations
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List Your Research Project On The Research Landscape
We would also like to invite UK researchers and industry stakeholders within ORE to submit links to research projects, both past and present, for inclusion within the landscape.
Therefore, if you have a UK-based research project within an area of ORE that you feel is relevant to a specific research theme or challenge within the Research Landscape, click HERE to submit your research project to the research landscape
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PhD projects in Offshore Renewable Energy
In order to better understand the breadth of ORE research currently being conducted in the UK, the Supergen ORE Hub has collated from its academic network, UK Centres for Doctoral Training and Industrial partners, a list of PhDs currently being undertaken in ORE.
Access a PDF of the list and find out more about including your PhD.