Paving the way

Image courtesy of Oceans of Energy.

THE USD 52 MILLION MARINE ENERGY PROJECT EUROPEAN SCALABLE OFFSHORE RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES (EU-SCORES) WILL PAVE THE WAY FOR BANKABLE HYBRID OFFSHORE PARKS ACROSS EUROPE BY 2025. UNDER THE PROJECT LEAD OF THE DUTCH MARINE ENERGY CENTRE (DMEC), EU-SCORES WILL UNLOCK THE LARGESCALE POTENTIAL OF WIND, WAVE, AND OFFSHORE SOLAR SYSTEMS.

The current global annual electricity consumpton is about 21,000TWh and is predicted to double by 2050, with a growing populaton and GDP. Efcient and efectve use of ofshore renewables is pivotal in the EU’s transiton towards an economy with net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. To accomplish this, the EU set clear targets to reach 230-440GW and 40GW installed capacity of ofshore wind and ocean energy by 2050, respectvely.

Two demo sites

Having kicked of in September 2021, the project partners will jointly build on two highly comprehensive and impactul demo sites: a 3MW ofshore solar PV system by Oceans of Energy of the Belgian coast colocated with a botom fxed wind farm, and a 1.2MW wave energy array by CorPower Ocean in Portugal co-located with a foatng wind farm. The demo sites in EU-SCORES aim to showcase the benefts of contnuous power output by harnessing complementary power sources including wind, sun, and waves. This hybrid approach will create a more resilient and stable power system, higher capacity factors and a lower total cost per MWh.

The EU-SCORES project will create a more resilient and stable power system, higher capacity factors and a lower total cost per MWh.

Paving the way

Major project developers and utlity companies will further strengthen demonstraton eforts, paving the way for future large-scale commercialisaton of these innovatve parks. The full-scale demo

Artist impression courtesy of Oceans of Energy.

Oceans of Energy off the Belgian coast will be co-located with a bottom fxed windfarm.

sites are intended to prove how the increased power output and capacity installed per km2 will reduce the amount of marine space needed, thereby leaving more space for aquaculture, fsheries, shipping routes, and environmentally protected zones. Additonal benefts achieved by cousing critcal electrical infrastructures and exploring advanced operaton and maintenance methodologies supported by innovatve autonomous systems should lower the costs per MWh. Moreover, the project demonstratons will support the stability and resilience of the European energy system, while considering sustainability, local stakeholders, and existng ecosystems.

Move fast

Benjamin Lehner, Project Portolio Manager at DMEC, says, “For a successful energy transiton, we have to move fast without jeopardising the reliability of our electricity grid. EU-SCORES can be a game changer doing so. The mult-use of ofshore space presents a favourable business case with major potental to accelerate the transiton, while the hybrid approach will enable more reliable electricity provision.” Mathijs Soede, Senior Policy Ofcer at European

EU-SCORES Consortium Partners

The EU-SCORES consortum partners are Dutch Marine Energy Centre (DMEC), Oceans of Energy, TU Delf, SBM Ofshore, POM WestVlaanderen (POM), RWE Renewables (RWE), CorPower Ocean, Uppsala University, Lappeenranta-Laht University of Technology (LUT), Enel Green Power, RINA ofshore consultants, INNOSEA – a AqualisBraemar LOC Group company, EDP Labelec, WavEC Ofshore Renewables, INESC TEC, Exceedence, and Western Star Wave.

EU-SCORES is supported by IRO (Associaton of Dutch Suppliers in the Ofshore Energy Industry), ENECO Group, Redes Enérgetcas Nacionais, Parkwind, Ocean Winds, and Energie Baden-Würtemberg.

Commission DG Research, states, “We have very high expectatons from the EU-SCORES project, which perfectly fts with our aim to realise the Green Deal. They show great ambiton by demonstratng diferent energy sources considering efcient use of the seas, and their success will support the clean energy transiton.”

i. dutchmarineenergy.com

Artist impression courtesy of CorPower Ocean.