OPEC Project Update

Submitted by Sarah Johnson on 06 December 2018

The OPEC project has been investigating the technical and economic feasibility of Multi-Use Platforms at Sea to support various combinations of revenue generating applications such as renewable energy generation, aquaculture and security and surveillance.  By using a range of novel solutions for Multi-Use Platforms at Sea, the project has been looking at ways to achieve a 20% reduction in the cost of energy generated. The OPEC concept is envisaged to be a large floating structure, fabricated cost-effectively using steel modules. The sharing of the construction, installation, operation and maintenance costs between multiple uses is expected to increase the financial viability and return on investment for each use compared to a single-use platform. The initial summary of findings from the project indicates that the following combinations of uses offer the most benefits and are worth further research: * Integration of offshore wind generation with shellfish farming - this combination would not only be possible but could also be contained in quite a compact structure/facility * Integration of offshore wind generation with finfish farming is possible but would need a larger contained volume within the structure, with impacts on platform hydrodynamics * The most promising route for wave energy in a multi-use platform appears to be in combination with offshore port facilities. The large structural scale and mass of a ship berthing facility would also offer potential for significant wave energy capture The OPEC project completes at the end of December 2018. OPEC is planning a follow-up project to look more specifically at the detailed engineering required for two pilot multi-use platforms, one in South Africa and one in the UK. If you would like to be kept informed of the final findings from the OPEC Project please sign up to the Interest Group at the following link: https://www.offshoreplatforms.eu/interest-group  

OPEC has been co-funded through the Energy Catalyst Early Stage Feasibility fund from Innovate UK.

OPEC Project
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