• Energy Research
• 2017 close

Offshore Kinetics (OK), an innovative Norwegian SME, has developed a game changing offshore floating wind turbine support structure that will optimise installation, commissioning, operation (maintenance) and decommissioning of wind farms. OKs patented column, stabilization tank, universal joint and anchor provides an effective “all in one” deployment of wind turbines. The concept is considerably more cost efficient than the leading models on floating wind turbines in the world today, and will reduce both Capex an Opex of wind farms. Offshore Kinetics’ overall objective is to upscale, demonstrate, and commercialize our patented Wind Turbine Support Structure (WTSS) solution in the offshore wind market

Wind energy is the fastest growing renewable energy source in Europe, accounting for 10.2% of total electricity in 2015, however there is still a need to reduce the overall cost of energy – CoE to increase its competitiveness. The capital costs represents 78% of CoE and can be broken down into several categories, with around 54% attributable to wind turbine, from which the blades represents 30%. CoE can be reduced by maximizing energy production for the site by installing larger turbines. However, as the length of current rotor blades increase, their associated cost and weight increase at a faster rate than the turbine’s power output. Furthermore, as blades get longer they are becoming increasingly more difficult to manufacture and transport setting the limit at 90m. Winfoor (WF) and Marstrom (MC) aim to pursue this market opportunity by bringing to market its innovative and ground-breaking blade technology – Triblade. Triblade is a “3-in-1” modular blade, built as a Composite Material Truss that will allow rotor blades to be longer (up to 50%), stiffer (up to 290%) and lighter (up to 78%), whilst reducing around 65.2% production costs and increasing ease of transport and installation resulting in up to 15.5% CoE reduction. These are game changing improvements that can play an important role in driving the development of next generation of larger turbines and accelerate the transition to greater use of renewables worldwide. TRIBLADE project is expected to significantly enhance WF&MC’s profitability, with expected accumulated revenue of €85M and profits of €40M, 6 years after commercialization. Moreover, the successful achievement of TRIBLADE objectives is expected to assist Europe in achieving objectives to secure a sustainable energy system based on a low-carbon electricity from wind. This project will therefore entail increased competitiveness for the SME value chain and for the EU as a whole.

Innovations in solar energy conversion are required to meet humanity’s growing energy demand, while reducing reliance on fossil fuels. All solar energy conversion devices harvest light and then separate photoproducts, minimising recombination. Normally charge separation takes place at the surface of nanostructured electrodes, often covered with photosensitiser molecules such as in dye-sensitised solar cells; DSSCs. However, the use solid state architectures made from inorganic materials leads to high processing costs, occasionally the use of toxic materials and an inability to generate a large and significant source of energy due to manufacturing limitations. An alternative is to effect charge separation at electrically polarised soft (immiscible water-oil) interfaces capable of driving charge transfer reactions and easily “dye-sensitised”. Photoproducts can be separated on either side of the soft interface based on their hydrophobicity or hydrophilicity, minimising recombination. SOFT-PHOTOCONVERSION will explore if photoconversion efficiencies at soft interfaces can be improved to become competitive with current photoelectrochemical systems, such as DSSCs. To achieve this goal innovative soft interface functionalisation strategies will be designed. To implement these strategies an integrated platform technology consisting of (photo)electrochemical, spectroscopic, microscopic and surface tension measurement techniques will be developed. This multi-disciplinary approach will allow precise monitoring of morphological changes in photoactive films that enhance activity in terms of optimal kinetics of photoinduced charge transfer. An unprecedented level of electrochemical control over photosensitiser assembly at soft interfaces will be attained, generating photoactive films with unique photophysical properties. Fundamental insights gained may potentially facilitate the emergence of new class of solar conversion devices non-reliant on solid state architectures.

EnergyMatching aims at developing adaptive and adaptable envelope and building solutions for maximizing RES (Renewable Energy Sources) harvesting: versatile click&go substructure for different cladding systems (R3), solar window package (R4), modular appealing BIPV envelope solutions (R5), RES harvesting package to heat and ventilate (R6). Such solutions are integrated into energy efficient building concepts for self-consumers connected in a local area energy network (energyLAN). The energyLAN is designed to fullfil comprehensive economic rationales (organised by geo-cluster), including balancing cost and performance targets, through the energy harvesting business enhancer platform (R1), which handles different stakeholders benefits, risks and overall cash flows, and it will be exploited to develop specific business models. Operational strategies of the energyLAN are driven by the building and districrt energy harvesting management system (R7). EnergyMatching focuses on residential buildings to open up the highest potential in terms of NZEB target and optimisation of building integrated RES in the 4 seasons. EnergyMatching buildings are active elements of the energy network and as energy partners they consume, produce, store and supply energy and as self-consumers they transform the EU energy market from centralised, fossil-fuel based national systems to a decentralised, renewable, interconnected and adaptive system. EnergyMatching optimisation tool (R2) enables the best matching between local RES-based energy production and building load profiles, and simplifies the energy demand management for the energy distributors. EnergyMatching addresses positive public perception of RES integration, by developing active envelope solution with high aesthetical value and flexibility to cope with different architectural concepts. The proposed solar active skin technologies are easily connectable at mechanical (R3), building energy system (R4-R6) and energy network level (R7).

This project is a technical, economic and commercial feasibility assessment into a portable wind turbine for ships (the Hi-GEN) which will cut reliance on auxiliary, fossil fuel generators when ships are at anchor or in port (referred to as "downtime"). Fuel costs and green house gas emissions are significant issues for the shipping and fishing industries, especially during downtime. During downtime, ships use auxiliary fossil fuel generators to power the ships. Fossil fuel generators are expensive to run and produce harmful emissions including CO, CO2, CH4, NOX, PM, SOX and NMVOC. Shipping emissions in ports are substantial accounted for 18.3 million tonnes of CO2 emission in 2011. External costs of port emissions for the largest 50 ports is estimated at €12bn. Global fisheries accounts for 1.8% of total global oil consumption and international fishing contributes between 13 and 20 million tonnes of CO2 emissions annually. Yet fishing vessels spend between 44% and 70% of the year NOT at sea. The objective of the overall project is to establish the Hi-GEN as a cost effective, environmentally friendly and preferred source of auxiliary power for commercial vessels during downtime. The overall objective of this study is to identify and consider all relevant factors into the economic and technical viability of the Hi-GEN. The Hi-GEN is an innovative and novel low carbon technology. IP is owned by the Company and currently patent pending with UK and PCT. Every vessel in the world which has a crane could benefit from using the Hi-GEN. The benefits would be significant: 1. Vessel owners could make significant savings on operating costs and achieve an economic payback of between 2 and 4 years (see case study below) 2.Marine industries could save up to 32 million litres of fuel and 4.5 million tonnes of CO2 per annum, boosting the blue economy 3. The company could add 40 new jobs and €24m of revenue over 4 years; a fraction of the total market potential of over €2bn

Wind power has established itself in recent years as a clean alternative to conventional sources of electrical generation.Reduced costs and wider deployment, especially in the European market, have led over the past decade to its use at sea. Here, the wind resource is larger and more constant, allowing higher unitary power turbines. However, the marine environment itself also imposes a number of restrictions and challenges. The technology that is being deployed now is fixed to the seabed, using different types of foundations, but a large amount of wind resources is in deeper waters, where floating solutions are needed. Because of their initial higher costs, these solutions are still under development, with only three prototypes installed worldwide. The challenge nowadays is to reduce the costs of floating wind turbine structures that will ease the access to a much larger energy potential than available in land, more easily manageable and with lower visual impact. The aim of the SATH project is the demonstration in real conditions of a floating structure for offshore wind which will allow a reduction in LCOE (Levelized Cost Of Energy) over the current floating technology. To achieve this, it is proposed as a first objective the validation and qualifying for this technology, of a 1:3 scaled prototype not only from a technical point of view but also from economic and necessary logistics. The SATH solution is a platform that consists of two cylindrical floats (of prestressed reinforced concrete) which can be manufactured onshore and transported and positioned at the final location in a single mooring point allowing the rotation of the platform around, self-aligning with the wind direction.

The overall objective of WinWind is to enhance the socially inclusive and environmentally sound market uptake of wind energy by increasing its social acceptance in 'wind energy scarce regions' (WESR). The specific objectives are: screening, analysing, discussing, replicating, testing & disseminating feasible solutions for increasing social acceptance and thereby the uptake of wind energy. The proposal considers from a multidisciplinary perspective the case of WESR in DE, ES, IT, LV, PL and NO. These selected countries represent a variety of realities ranging from large (but with WESR) to very scarce wind energy penetration. WinWind analyses regional and local communities´ specificities, socioeconomic, spatial & environmental characteristics and the reasons for slow market deployment in the selected target regions. Best practices to overcome the identified obstacles are assessed and – where feasible – transferred. The operational tasks are taken up by national/regional desks consisting of the project partners, market actors and stakeholders in each country. The project´s objectives will be reached by: i) analysing the inhibiting and driving factors for acceptance, ii) developing a taxonomy of barriers to identify similarities and differences in development patterns , iii) carrying out stakeholder dialogues in all participating regions, iv) developing acceptance-promoting measures that are transferable to specific local, regional and national contexts, and v) transferring feasible best practice solutions via learning labs. WinWind develops concrete solutions. The activities focus on novel informal/voluntary procedural participation of communities, direct and indirect financial participation & benefit sharing. Finally, policy lessons with validity across Europe are drawn and recommendations proposed. Already 62 stakeholders and market actors provided letters of support showing their commitment in supporting the WindWind activities and in implementing useful results.