(Closed) SOS-WindEnergy – Sustainable Reuse of Decommissioned Offshore Jacket Platforms for Offshore Wind Energy

Summary

Title
Sustainable Reuse of Decommissioned Offshore Jacket Platforms for Offshore Wind Energy
Reference UTA-EXPL/IET/0111/2019
Scientific Area Space-Earth Interactions
Funding (PT) 41 803,50 EUR
Funding (US) 50 000,00 USD
Leading Institutions Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto (FEUP)
Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, Texas Atomic Energy Research Foundation, Cockrell School of Engineering, UT Austin
Duration 12 months 15 months
Start date September 1, 2020
End date August 31, 2021 November 30, 2021
Keywords
Offshore wind turbines, Renewable energy, Requalification, Fatigue, Metocean climate
Website

Planet Earth is composed of land and water, respectively, 29.2% and 70.8%, where approximately 97.5% of the water is in our seas and oceans. The ocean is the least explored resource on our planet. In 2010, the European Science Foundation’s Marine Council predicted that, by 2050, Europe will supply up to 50% of its electricity needs from marine renewable energy. Thus, offshore renewable energy presents challenges and opportunities in particular for Portugal, with its significant resources in one of the largest sea areas in Europe. The SOS-WindEnergy project intends to evaluate metocean (meteorological and oceanographic) environment conditions and modeling of its variability using “environmental contour” approaches that will rely on measured waves and wind data in Portuguese offshore sites being considered for renewable energy generation.

The project team will bring important synergies towards addressing the problem of how to safely and responsibly use or reuse existing sites and systems in place for future offshore wind energy generation. The SOS-WindEnergy focuses on a literature review on metocean data analysis and fatigue approaches; feasibility assessments of specific support structures using metocean data; and, fatigue performance evaluation of platforms for offshore wind. The project will thus establish a methodology for fatigue performance evaluation of jacket platforms using available metocean environmental data and stochastic modeling approaches, while considering the service life of these same decommissioned structures, to be modified to support wind turbines that can support a marine renewable energy industry.

It is anticipated that the proposed work can serve as a pilot study for planned reliability analyses. The benefits to the environment are obvious; such reuse plans reduce waste and the intended future use also contributes to a cleaner and more responsible energy generation and less harm to the environment.

Key Outcomes

  • A methodology for fatigue performance evaluation of jacket platforms;
  • Publications in specialized journals and print/electronic media;
  • Activities such as two planned workshops for academic and non-academic attendees.

Papers and Communications

E-Posters

2021 Annual Conference

Project Team

José Correia

Principal Investigator in Portugal (FEUP)
SOS-WindEnergy

Lance Manuel

Principal Investigator in Austin (UT Austin)
SOS-WindEnergy