Flexible fl oating offshore islands


A Dutch consortium including four applied research institutes (MARIN, TNO, Deltares and WUR) is exploring the potential of combining a partially permanent and partially floating island.


Floating offshore islands can be utilised for storage, energy processing and the maintenance of wind farms situated far off the coast. But this is difficult in the North Sea where the sea is rough with a lot of swell. Currently there are seven wind farms in the Dutch North Sea that jointly generate 2.5 GW of renewable electricity. Offshore wind energy already supplies the Netherlands with a significant proportion of its electricity, and this will grow considerably in the years ahead.


Erik-Jan de Ridder & William Otto


e.d.ridder@marin.nl


As the nearshore space is already utilised, future wind farms will increasingly be placed further offshore, making it more difficult and expensive to maintain them, and to transmit the electricity ashore. In the HybridEnerSeaHub project MARIN is conducting research into islands with both floating and permanent parts. The permanent part ensures protection against rough conditions and the floating part offers the possibility to add certain functions to the island. Research is needed to fully understand the hydrodynamic interaction between the two.


Erik-Jan de Ridder in the test basin of Deltares. Photo: www.nielsblekemolen.nl


 The HybridEnerSeaHub is a joint project of a Dutch consortium, with each having its own speciality: MARIN (floating structures), Deltares (permanent infrastructure and environmental conditions), TNO (costs, risks, strength of materials), Wageningen Marine Research (environmental impact), RoyalHaskoning DHV and Offshore Service Facilities (design and construction). The project receives a Top Sector Energy subsidy from the Ministry of Economic Affairs. www.marin.nl/jips/hybridhub


“This research is important because the northern North Sea is quite rough. That makes it difficult to have a completely floating island,” says Project Manager Erik-Jan de Ridder. “A floating island is also future-proof. You can construct an island with functions that are needed at that point in time but in 10 years' time, the circumstances may have changed. Floating parts are easier to expand and replace.”


In 2022, the project will result in a completed concept and calculation models. “I expect that islands will increasingly be more relevant and floating or partially floating, would then be a worthwhile option. Similarly, with the threat of a rising sea level and extreme weather conditions, it may be worthwhile to consider floating constructions. If the sea level rises, a floating island rises too. If you construct something permanently, there is a higher chance of flooding. Floating islands are being considered in other places too, such as Singapore and Denmark. By already developing this knowledge and these models, we will be able to apply them all over the world.”


18 report


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24