The National Decommissioning Centre (NDC) has teamed up with the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult in a research partnership aimed at developing new offshore wind technologies.
The partnership initially consists of three projects focusing on different aspects of offshore wind development, including the simulation of floating offshore wind turbine systems, design optimization of these systems, and environmental concerns.
The three projects include:
•Simulations of Floating Offshore Wind Marine Operations – the National Decommissioning Centre’s $2 million immersive simulation suite will be used to trial virtual marine operations related to the installation and maintenance of FOWT systems in a risk-free environment.
•Multi-objective Design Optimization of Floating Offshore Wind Systems – this will develop a numerical tool to improve the design of combined floating platforms and mooring and dynamic cable systems, allowing users to quickly identify the best solutions based on project circumstance and cost.
•Study of Environmental Interactions of FOW Technology – this will investigate how key environmental stakeholders, advisory bodies and research organizations can work together to identify gaps in their knowledge of how offshore wind farms interact with the marine environment, and better identify solutions.
Each project is co-funded by ORE Catapult, the NDC, and the School of Engineering at the University of Aberdeen.
Marcin Kapitaniak and Richard Neilson from the University of Aberdeen are coordinating the projects at the NDC in Newburgh.
“We are delighted to be a part of this collaborative research project partnership between the NDC and ORE Catapult, which addresses a need for delivering innovation, impact, and technical development in the field of floating wind, which is vital for achieving net zero and energy transition goals.
“Each project will run for 3.5 years, and the results will inform approaches to offshore wind development and maintenance that have the potential to bring real improvements to current processes as well as cost savings to industry,” Kapitaniak said.
“The collaboration between the partners was initiated when the NDC received support from EPSRC’s Supergen ORE Hub for a project aimed at the development of cost-effective methods of installation of floating wind farm anchors, which was co-founded by ORE Catapult and Aubin Group.
“This opened discussions about utilizing the NDC’s unique and state-of-the-art simulation suite, which as well as being able to undertake detailed marine technology and operational simulations, can also conduct complex data modeling and visualization.
“I am delighted that these discussions have come to fruition, and we look forward to working with colleagues in the ORE Catapult and our Ph.D. students as part of this exciting initiative,” Neilson, NDC Director, added.
“I am pleased that the school can support this partnership which will help expand the number of our Ph.D. students working on floating offshore wind projects, developing the skillsets required to make real and lasting contributions to the energy sector,” Ekaterina Pavlovskaia, Head of the University of Aberdeen’s School of Engineering said.
“Our strategic partnership with the University of Aberdeen in delivering the NDC is enabling the delivery of crucial industry-led, research partnerships.
“Through innovative collaboration, these projects will help accelerate the development and deployment of offshore floating wind, increase efficiency and ensure floating offshore wind is a cost-effective solution in the energy transition.
“The marine simulation suite is a fundamental element providing an environment to virtually prototype new technology and de-risk the entire lifecycle of floating offshore wind and other energy infrastructure in the marine environment,” Roger Esson, Head of Industry and Partner Network at Net Zero Technology Centre, added.
The NDC is a $48 million partnership between the University of Aberdeen, Net Zero Technology Centre, and the industry. NZTC develops and deploys technology to accelerate an affordable net zero energy industry.
Founded in 2017, the NZTC was created as part of the Aberdeen City Region Deal, with $227 million of UK and Scottish government funding.
Source: Rigzone.com
