Innovative foundations, floating substructures and connection systems for floating PV and ocean energy devices

Topic description

ExpectedOutcome:

Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:

• Improved overall life time, reliability, installability, operability and maintainability of marine substructures, mechanical joints and energy connection systems for ocean energy devices and/or offshore floating PV to reduce degradation and failure rates and thus investment risk.
• Better understanding of the device’s real life performance allowing a safe reduction in the over-engineering of devices’ specifications.
• Reduction of LCOE in line with the SET Plan targets (actions should clearly justify estimated LCOE at project start and end, using a recognised calculation methodology).
• Contribution to the objectives of the Mission Healthy oceans, seas, coastal and inland waters.

The action is expected to:

• Test and validate the potential benefits of new circular materials in offshore floating PV and/or ocean energy substructures, foundations and if relevant mooring and anchoring systems whilst ensuring structural integrity and durability considering very high wind (speed >25 m/s), current (>1.2 m/s) and wave (height >14 m) loads and corrosion and biofouling on all elements of the ocean energy systems.
• Test and validate new prototype components and materials used in offshore floating PV and/or ocean energy devices and verify that they are compatible with and resistant to the marine environment.
• Research material properties and behaviour in combination with the use of improved predictive computational modelling tools.
• Research, develop and validate improved predictive computational modelling tools for material properties.

The use of existing test facilities and related research infrastructures for the purposes of the project should be considered.

This topic requires the effective contribution of SSH disciplines and the involvement of SSH experts, institutions as well as the inclusion of relevant SSH expertise, in order to produce meaningful and significant effects enhancing the societal impact of the related research activities.

The selected projects are expected to contribute and participate to the activities of the project BRIDGE^[1] when relevant.

Activities are expected to achieve TRL 4-5 by the end of the project – see General Annex B.

Societal Engagement
Social sciences and humanities
Digital Agenda
Ocean sustainability and blue economy
Artificial Intelligence

[1]https://www.h2020-bridge.eu/