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UCD’s Vikram Pakrashi on the importance of strategic research
report offshore wind Ireland’s offshore wind capabilities are evolving rapidly
Ireland’s capabilities around the rapidly developing offshore wind (OW) energy are evolving fast and in a wide range of sectors. This development is often preceded by strategic research involving extensive collaboration between industry and academia within and outside the island, writes Vikram Pakrashi, Associate Professor at University College Dublin.
There is an active involvement of the funding bodies within Ireland and in the EU to support such research and the niche skills, insights, knowhow, and technologies developed will bolster a strongly bourgeoning area of employment. Operations, maintenance, and lifetime performance of offshore wind seem to dominate this theme.
While manufacturing of offshore wind turbine is typically carried out by large international companies, lifetime maintenance and performance related aspects are typically carried out by local, or smaller companies. This is an opportunity for Ireland since several of these aspects require advanced and multidisciplinary understanding of the design and performance of offshore wind turbines, along with their monitoring, measurement, and subsequent assessments. The need for complex modelling, understanding of new materials and designs, monitoring through sensors, along with related data analytics also makes it well aligned to the highly educated workforce of Ireland with a focus on digital solutions. These are areas where it is also possible for Irish companies to be competitive globally.
Energy has remained a core vertical for UCD, and offshore wind continues to be a priority area of focus. In the coming five years, research in UCD’s Energy Institute (UCD-EI) on offshore wind will investigate several fundamental and applied aspects in offshore wind which will evolve many nascent concepts towards industrial practice. A range of interconnected works will address the reduction of lifetime cost and risk of offshore wind technologies and operations for reliable, long-life, cheaper, hazard-aware, and resilient electricity. This will be achieved by assimilating fundamental physics with engineering, climate research and data. Through the all-island NexSys project, funded by the Science Foundation Ireland, philanthropy and several industries, this research will:
• establish bespoke operations and maintenance (O&M) tools for OW via
advanced climate science and data analytics;
• create a deep and new understanding of mechanical and structural responses of OW turbines and their components impacting their lifetime safety and performance;
• develop bespoke monitoring and system identification tools and benchmarks for O&M, including estimates of remaining life and digital twinning;
• demonstrate new controls for improved lifetime performance; and
• assess interconnected offshore grids, rational business processes, and public acceptance.
This research is supported by excellent industrial and scientific networks and the results will contribute to various global task groups of the International Energy Agency. Collaboration is envisaged with scientists, industry, and policymakers globally, along with national centre with complementary skills, like the SFI MaREI centre and Ireland’s National Ocean Testing Facility LiR. Sustained research efforts like this not only create a national network around the topic, but also develop a culture of thought, training, and action, which can be reflected in practice.
The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland recently funded a range of projects on offshore wind, including REMOTEWIND, which supports bespoke non-contact solutions for inspection of onshore and offshore wind farms through flying and swimming drones, along with non-contact laser measurements. On the other hand, the WindLEDERR project will investigate decision support options for end-of-life wind turbines for extension, decommissioning, repowering, and repurposing. The TwinFarm project on the other hand, will look into digital twinning and control aspects. Site repowering and lifetime geotechnical challenges are also addressed through recent projects funded by the Irish Research Council. Whether from a public goods perspective, or from an industry-led idea with focused intellectual property generation, extensive research in the OW sector will also lead to a wealth of knowhow which will be particularly relevant in terms of training up of workforces globally on niche areas. Enterprise Ireland recently launched the SEMPRE project which includes extensive research and testing to address key technical challenges in the development of a new robotic seabed drilling system for the installation, testing, and certification of marine anchors using micropile technology. UCD plays a key role in developing such solutions and translating new knowledge into industrially usable guidelines, recommendations, and pathways towards standardisation. At EU level, such standardisation pathways are also being forged by organisations like Eurostruct, through their dedicated task-groups. These projects will liaise with the objectives and individual works in NexSys as well.
Independently, various components of OW technology might be well known, but the combined interdisciplinary requirements of the sector are multifaceted and in flux. Research support around it thus needs to be holistic and sustained in its approach to obtain the full benefit of the efforts and investments. We need to create extensive evidence bases, tools and training to translate ideas into practice.
While science and technology research often take the spotlight, economic and social aspects of this sector are a major and important area, which probably require further attention. For example, the concept of just transition has started gaining traction and will continue to be extremely important for sustainable and resilient decisions on this topic. NexSys will be a leading project in making this happen for Ireland. Over time, we can only expect to see more dialogue between science and technology with the economic and social aspects. Another aspect that will remain important is the understanding and handling of uncertainties in these areas since they directly link back to the idea of risk and resilience over the lifetime of the turbines. In a multidisciplinary environment, understanding of such risks and uncertainties becomes a major challenge. Here, Ireland continues to attract leaders around the topic, not just through research but also being a host to major conferences in risk and uncertainties (e.g., ICASP14, Dublin, 2023).
Ireland has a clear research focus on the topic of offshore wind and in a wide context. A continued support in the area should clearly develop a highly trained, innovative, and competitive workforce.
Shaping the transformation of Ireland’s electricity grid
Mark Foley, Chief Executive, EirGrid.
In November, EirGrid Chief Executive, Mark Foley and Eamon Ryan TD, Minister for Environment, Climate, Communications and Transport, unveiled the Shaping Our Electricity Future roadmap, a blueprint for radically transforming the country’s electricity grid.
EirGrid was asked by the Government to transform the electricity system in anticipation of a future without coal, oil, peat and ultimately one with net zero emissions. Specifically, EirGrid is to redevelop the grid to manage the vast majority of Ireland’s electricity coming from renewable sources by 2030.
The Shaping Our Electricity Future roadmap was the result of a comprehensive 14-week consultation across all sectors of society and two
years of research by industry experts and tens of millions of technical simulations.
It provides an outline of the key developments needed from a networks, engagement, operations, and market perspective to support a secure transition to at least 70 per cent renewables on the electricity grid by 2030. This is an important step on the journey towards 80 per cent renewables, which will present opportunities for further renewable generators, and ultimately, net zero by 2050.
EirGrid consulted on four different approaches to developing the grid.
1. Generation-led approach: Put clean electricity generation close to where most power is used. The most likely outcome from this approach would be, for example, more wind farms off the east coast of the island of Ireland.
2. Developer-led approach: Let developers decide where to locate clean electricity generation. At least 10 of the projects needed to make the grid ready for this approach will be significant in size as they will need to move large amounts of power over long distances.
3. Technology-led approach: Try new technological ways to move clean electricity across the country. This approach uses several high-voltage underground electricity cables moving power from the west to the east of Ireland.
4. Demand-led approach: Put large electricity users close to sources of clean electricity generation.
The final roadmap contains a blended approach that looks at grid development from an economic, technical, social acceptance and deliverability perspective.
The plan comprises 40 new grid infrastructure projects, representing a total investment of over €1 billion. This is on top of an existing €2.2 billion programme of grid infrastructure projects which EirGrid has already engaged with communities on and which we have funding for.
Liam Ryan, EirGrid chief innovation and planning officer, says: “Under the roadmap, there will be greater control over where future generation and demand is located, minimising the need
for the development of new electricity lines. Most of the new projects identified in the blueprint are upgrades to existing infrastructure.”
Key to the development of the roadmap was a national public consultation that ran for 14 weeks from 8 March.
The consultation was supported by a range of traditional and innovative engagement and participation activities. These included a deliberative dialogue (modelled on Ireland’s Citizens Assembly), complemented by national fora involving industry, civil society, and youth. In addition to this, EirGrid engaged at grassroots level with rural communities, local businesses, and young people.
In response, there were 492 submissions from members of the general public and 80 industry submissions.
To reflect the feedback received from the public, the following changes were made to the EirGrid models:
• Offshore wind: In Ireland, EirGrid is now planning for 5GW of offshore wind generation to be in place by 2030. This is in line with
Government policy. Most of this will be based off the east coast of
Ireland as it is more technologically feasible than the south and west coasts. We originally modelled between 1.8GW and 4.5GW.
• Large energy users: It is anticipated that some new large energy users will locate in regional towns and cities. We anticipate the power demand for these will be 316MW.
• Microgeneration: In Ireland, there is an assumption of 500MW of microgeneration by 2030. EirGrid originally modelled between 100MW and 400MW.
• Onshore wind: EirGrid is planning for an additional 1.3GW of onshore wind generation to be in place by 2030.
• Storage: We are planning for 1.65GW of battery storage to be in place by 2030. This is more than the 750MW originally modelled and will help store wind and solar energy to be used when there is no sun or wind.
Ryan comments: “During the public consultation, a large amount of feedback supported offshore generation. Many stakeholders felt that offshore generation has a less negative environmental and visual impact. A few stakeholders pointed out that there is less opposition to the construction of offshore than onshore projects.
“Reflecting this support for offshore electricity development in Ireland, the figure in the final roadmap was increased to 5GW.”
In addition to this, stakeholders expressed the view that there should be much more offshore on the west coast of Ireland, utilising the Atlantic Ocean.
However, EirGrid has assumed limited capacity for offshore wind development off the south and west coast. Offshore wind development in the short term remains to be predominantly focused on the east coast.
It is not expected that the technology for offshore wind will be developed maturely enough to facilitate large scale offshore wind on the west coast in the short term. The east coast of Ireland has shallower waters, making offshore a more viable option in the short term. It also important to note that the Government has given priority to several east coast offshore developments in the context of the Marine Planning and Development Management legislation. Onshore wind continues to play a major role in delivering the renewable ambition, with new capacity connecting in areas of the grid with relatively fewer network constraints. This responds to strong support for the generation-led approach which achieves benefits for consumers by reducing both network constraints, and the scale and quantity of network reinforcements required.
In Ireland, the final roadmap includes an additional 1.3GW of new onshore renewable electricity on 2020 levels. There will also be significant growth in solar power. On top of the 500MW of microgeneration, EirGrid is planning for a further 1,000MW of commercial solar developments, delivering a total of 1,500MW by 2030.
Ryan concludes: “EirGrid is committed to updating our roadmap at regular intervals to cater for evolving energy policy. In parallel, we will continue to work with key stakeholders in exploring the necessary market reforms to attract investment in renewable energy and system services and to optimise participation of community owned and demand-based energy resources.”
E: david.martin@eirgrid.com W: www.eirgridgroup.com
Denmark’s energy islands: A paradigm shift
Denmark’s offshore wind legacy is well established. Now, undertaking the largest construction project in its history, with a projected cost of €28 billion, the Scandinavian country is seeking to at least quadruple its offshore wind capacity.
Illustration of the proposed North Sea energy island. Credit: Danish Energy Agency
Having constructed the world’s first offshore wind farm in 1991, Denmark now looks set to build on this legacy by creating the world’s first energy islands. Located in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea respectively, these islands will exploit the northern European nation’s vast offshore wind resources, directly supplying 5GW of energy to the Danish electricity grid.
Political context
Denmark’s Climate Act 2020 commits to an ambition of reducing Denmark’s greenhouse gas emissions by 70 per cent by 2030 when compared with 1990, and CO2 neutrality by 2050. In late 2020, it also announced that it was ending all new North Sea oil and gas exploration.
On 22 June 2020, agreement on the establishment of two energy islands was reached under the Danish Climate Agreement for Energy and Industry 2020. With cross-party consensus, the agreement was reach between the Danish Government, the Liberal Party, Danish People’s Party, Social Liberal Party, Socialist People’s Party, the Red-Green Alliance, Conservative Party, Liberal Alliance, and the Alternative. The same parties also reached agreement in February 2021 that the energy island in the North Sea would be artificially constructed and that the Danish State would be a majority owner with one or several private sector partners.
Until now, offshore wind farms were constructed as individual, nonconnected units. Through the creation of several continuously connected offshore wind farms to a hub, a green, offshore power plant will be established.
Operating as hubs, the islands will act as transmission centres; gathering electricity from hundreds of surrounding offshore wind farms and distributing it to the Danish grid and neighbouring countries. As such, green electricity can be distributed from an area with significant wind resources to areas of high electricity demand. Together, the two energy islands will triple Denmark’s electricity production from offshore wind farms.
Branded as “green power plants at sea”, the energy islands will enable offshore wind turbines to be located further from the Danish coast and distribute power more efficiently between several neighbouring countries.
While offshore wind farms will connect with electrotechnical facilities – to enable the collection and distribution of energy – on each island, they will not be identical. The Baltic Sea energy island will be established on Bornholm, meaning that the electrotechnical equipment will be located on land. Meanwhile, in the North Sea, an artificial island will be constructed.
Initially, the offshore wind farms located near to the two energy islands will produce a total of 5GW of electricity; 3GW from the North Sea and 2GW from the Baltic Sea. Ultimately, it is intended that the energy island and surrounding wind farms in the North Sea will expand capacity to generate and distribute 10GW.
North Sea
Already comprising over 400 named islands, Denmark is proposing the construction of a new 120,000m2 artificial island. Located in the North Sea, between 80 and 100km west of Thorsminde, Jutland, the artificial island will be home to electrotechnical facilities to route electricity from the surrounding windfarms into the electricity grid for the first 3GW of offshore wind. There is also potential for service facilities and a harbour.
While its exact size is yet to be determined, the North Sea island is expected to have a footprint of between 120,000 and 460,000m2. As well as being established further out at sea, up to 600 wind turbines (200 initially) in the surrounding wind farms are anticipated to stand up to 260m tall; much larger than existing turbines.
The size and design of the island will be determined by the Danish State as majority (at least 50.1 per cent) owner of the island in partnership with private sector actors.
With initial capacity of 3GW, corresponding with the electricity consumption of three million households (twice the capacity of all existing Danish offshore wind turbines combined and half of Denmark’s total electricity consumption), further electrification of Denmark and neighbouring countries could be facilitated by phased expansion to 10GW (10 million homes). Detail within the political agreement around the islands also includes ambitions for power-to-x, as well as utility-scale battery storage technology for surplus electricity when supply exceeds demand.
Baltic Sea
Simultaneously, electrotechnical equipment will be also housed on the natural island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea. Offshore wind farms will be established 20km south-southwest of Bornholm and electricity generated routed to grids on Zealand and neighbouring countries. These wind farms will have a capacity of 2GW, corresponding with the electricity consumption of two million households.
A location for the offshore wind farms near energy island Bornholm was determined in November 2021, alongside a gross area for the location of the energy island and associated wind farms in the North Sea.
Next steps
In relation to the tendering process, the Danish Energy Authority anticipates that the winning bid will be announced in early 2023. Meanwhile, Energinet, the Danish transmission system operator (TSO), has tasked Fugro and MMT with conducting geophysical studies of the sea bed for the North Sea island. These surveys are expected to be completed by September 2022. Furthermore, Fugro has been awarded another contract for cable route surveys, while Intertek has been commission to undertake additional analysis.
In the Baltic Sea, Energinet has tasked Ramboll engineering consultancy with conducting environmental studies for the energy island until 2024. In a recent development, the Danish Energy Authority has instructed Energinet expand the area of consideration and examine the possibility of increasing capacity to 3GW.
Speaking on his country’s strides towards establishing the world’s first energy islands, Minister for Climate Dan Jørgensen MF remarked: “We are now entering a new era in the Danish wind adventure… The energy islands will help to increase the amount of renewable energy significantly, and at the same time we will make it possible to transform the green power into fuels for heavy transport both on land, at sea and in the air. In other words, the energy islands supply the green electricity, which is the prerequisite for the climate-neutral Denmark and Europe of the future.”
It is intended that the Danish energy island project will act as a blueprint for other nations seeking to undertake such action.
