17 minute read
Innovation & Technology
Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Germany and the United Kingdom DMEC has developed a service offer for marine energy developers that helps them streamline their path to commercial success. This and other projects are part of the DMEC Accelerator which is aiming to give marine energy developers a central contact point for any step during their technology development and to provide interested market parties with detailed insights into the developments in this exciting new renewable energy sector. For more information regarding the Ocean Energy Scale up Alliance project or to learn more about engagement opportunities with the marine energy sector, please visit our website www.dutchmarineenergy.com or contact project manager Simon Stark, simon@dutchmarineenergy.com.
The Dutch offshore energy supply industry is a leader in its field, renowned for its gas technology and offshore wind expertise and more and more in other renewable energy sources. Innovation is key to remain at the forefront of new developments and new business models. IRO supports its members to strategically invest in innovative technology and participate in innovation programmes set by IRO in cooperation with other parties such as TNO, NML, KIVI, TKI WoZ, YES!Delft, Buccaneer and InnovationQuarter.
In following articles subjects like digitalisation and crosssector collaboration will be addressed.
METIP, DroneQ and Energy Reinvented start a collaboration for a broad application of marine drones for the benefit of the Offshore Energy industry Oil, Gas & Wind.
On Thursday 8 October 2020, John Spee (North Holland North NHN Development Company) and John Troch (DroneQ Aerial Services) participated in an Energy Reinvented Digital Energy corona-proof meeting in Nieuwegein and gave a presentation that explained the cooperation between Energy Reinvented and METIP (Maritime Emerging & Enabling Technologies Innovation Platform) and showed the Energy Reinvented members how drones could provide support to the Offshore Energy Industry Oil, Gas & Wind. The presentation was the start of the Maritime Logistics: Drone Delivery program for offshore energy. Energy Reinvented’s participants include Siemens, Shell, TNO, Aramco, Damen, NAM and many others. Safety is paramount when conducting Drone Delivery flights and requires intensive preparation. Not only the legal framework is an important part of this, but also flight safety itself. A comprehensive risk analysis for these specific circumstances is carried out. Things like the flight environment, flying over long distances beyond the drone pilot’s sight and flying over water require specific risk mitigation measures. Landing with a drone in a high-metal environment, potential disturbances by radar and highpower transmission equipment on board the ship, offshore installations and offshore wind turbines are included in the risk analysis. Permits for flying over longer distances (BVLOS=Beyond Visual Line Of Sight) require, among other things, detailed operational procedures and emergency procedures, modifications to drone and support equipment, being able to navigate and communicate with the drone over 4G, 5G or Iridium (satellite), drawing up a flight communication plan before, during and after flight.
DroneQ has developed a comprehensive development and test program within the Maritime Drone Initiative (MDI), part of METIP, with respect to Maritime Logistics: Drone Delivery,
where drones are equipped with a so-called payload delivery system that allows the pilot to release the payload remotely. The package in which the cargo was transported has also been designed, tested and optimised to ensure that the cargo has as little impact as possible on the flight performance of the drones and the cargo is protected to the maximum. On-site testing is part of this process to obtain maximum assurance that safety during the operation would remain within the risk acceptance frameworks.
The conditions in maritime environments are of a different order than those above land. Issues such as strong winds, salt haze and rapidly changing weather conditions make the conditions in which maritime drones must continue to operate within the framework of acceptable risk level into a special field. This not only places high demands on the operator, but also on the equipment itself and on the operational processes and procedures. An important element of Drone Delivery is the ability to operate within the processes and procedures of the Logistics Supply Chain, in which Drone Delivery processes need to be seamlessly integrated. Logistics is a special field in which everything has to be right in order not to run the risk of stagnation of the supply chain. Not only the supply chain process must be a well-oiled machine, processes must also be set up and regularly tested to ensure continuity of service. Especially in the dynamic world of Offshore Energy, a reliable supply chain is crucial! This requires a professional and reliable partner in this field. Drone Deliveries will include operations on land, in ports, to offshore wind turbine parks, offshore installations and ships and will focus on transporting reserve parts, tools and measuring instruments, documents and other supplies by drone. The ambition is to automate as much as possible and to enable autonomous deployment, which will be introduced in phases. In addition to drones, Autonomous Surface Vessels (USVs) and underwater drones (ROVs) will also be among the focus areas. In addition to Maritime logistics: Drone Delivery, other disciplines using drone applications will also be highlighted, including Security, Inspection, Surveying and Maintenance.
The strength of METIPs MDI is to operate from a platform where a consortium of companies that are each experts in their part of the Drone Delivery process and jointly bring in expertise, experience, knowledge and activities to bring Maritime Logistics: Drone Delivery to the required level and maintain it. Innovations in areas such as communication technologies, Artificial Intelligence, automated offshore drone bases and other operational innovations set the bar even higher for these consortium partners. The processbased project approach of applying existing technology, adapting existing technology that may require a specific demand to develop a special drone for example, can be addressed from the ecosystem of METIP partners and makes the collaboration between Energy Reinvented and METIP unique. Never before has the development and application of maritime drone support for offshore energy been formed on this scale. In addition to DroneQ Aerial Services (Drone Operations & Integration), the METIP are core partners for the Energy Reinvented collaboration, including Development Company NHN, Airhub (Legal Consultancy & Drone Operations Management Systems), and Space53 (Drone Test & Innovation center). For each project, this core team is supplemented as needed by other specialist partners from the METIP/MDI partner ecosystem.
Read more on www.droneq.nl.
BAKKER SLIEDRECHT SERVICES SHIPS ANTHONY VEDER REMOTELY VIA AUGMENTED REALITY GLASSES
After a successful pilot, system integrator Bakker Sliedrecht and gas shipping company Anthony Veder intend to enter a partnership to provide ships with remote service through augmented reality glasses (AR-glasses). Via a computer, service engineers of Bakker Sliedrecht can see live on board footage of the AR-glasses wearer.
Successful pilot gas tanker Coral Favia
The companies have run a successful pilot on gas tanker Coral Favia. During the pilot, functionalities were tested via a dial-up connection and common failures were simulated. On board, an officer wore the AR glasses, guiding Bakker Sliedrecht experts virtually through the ship. “Normally, emails and construction plans are sent back and forth first and phone calls are made to get to the core problem. Now we can watch live. We can solve the problem immediately, or we know what’s going on and we can make a better planning and bring the right parts directly with us”, says Thijs van Hal, Head of Main Contracting at Bakker Sliedrecht. “Now it can happen that a colleague is travelling for several days, while afterwards it turned out that the solution for the malfunction was relatively easy. As downtime for ships is very expensive, quick service is important. If you can offer them remote assistance through AR glasses, you can be ready in two hours instead of two days”, says Thijs. Anthony Veder has a fleet of over thirty vessels transporting liquified gas on a worldwide scale.
Live images on board
All kinds of digital information can be projected or added to the screen on the glasses. This varies from construction plans, virtual arrows to a 3D impression of the engine room or the switch box. Computer screens on the glasses can also be shared. It is a kind of webcam on site, where you both see the same thing and where you have multiple additional tools to make an accurate assessment of the situation. “It is a very useful tool when there are problems
on a ship far away. You can see together what is the problem and how you can solve it”, says Wouter Boogaart, Digital Development Manager at Anthony Veder. The AR glasses can also be used for tests and remote inspections.
Next step in maritime servicing
According to Van Hal, this type of remote assistance technology will become more important as ships are becoming more and more complex. “We will do more things remotely. Then it is important that we are already successful with this”, he says. Anthony Veder wants to expand the deployment of the AR glass in phases over a part of the fleet. In addition to purchasing AR glasses, staff will be trained and the IT infrastructure will be upgraded. “We believe that these kinds of developments are the future. Ships are becoming increasingly complex. As a result, much more expertise and specialism is needed to see what is going on. Something that is often not present on board. The glasses can save a lot of time, travel time and money, which is why the investment is worth it”, says Boogaart. “Especially during Corona times, the glasses are a useful tool because borders are closed and planes stay on the ground. Then these kinds of innovations have proven to be necessary.” More info at www.bakkersliedrecht.com.
FLOATING ISLANDS ONE STEP CLOSER TO REALISATION, COMPLETION OF SPACE@SEA PROJECT
The Horizon 2020 funded Space@Sea project kicked-off in November 2017, setting out to make a step towards efficient use of the maritime environment. The consortium of 17 European partners developed sustainable and affordable workspaces at sea, consisting of standardised and cost efficient modular islands with low ecological impact.
Modular system
The consortium developed a system of coupled, interconnected, floating barges. As these barges have standardised dimensions and couplings, they can be combined into an infinite amount of different assemblies. This allows for a modular and flexible floating island, as the barges can be re-arranged such that the size and layout of the assembly can be adapted during its lifetime. This flexibility of floating islands is a key differentiator with respect to traditional land-based infrastructure, on which city maps or the maps of industrial areas are almost literally ‘set in stone’.
Integrated demonstrator
Four applications have been researched: Living@Sea, EnergyHub@Sea, Logistics@Sea and Farming@Sea. The projects demonstrator island (see picture) integrates all four of these activities on a floating island at open sea. This is a good impression of how the floating future might look like in the long term. However, it is most likely that the realisation of floating islands will start with one or two of these activities nearshore. For example, floating extensions of existing cities with sheltered waters. At a very small scale this is already realised in for instance IJburg, where a floating neighbourhood is extended to the city of Amsterdam. With the knowledge built within the Space@ Sea project, we can step by step bring this technology further in the direction of large scale settlements at sea.
Wave induced motions
The hydrodynamic response of the demonstrator has been researched at MARIN. At the commencement of the project, there were no existing numerical tools to predict the wave induced motions of such large assemblies of
interconnected pontoons. MARIN has therefore improved and extended the software packages DIFFRAC and aNySIM XMF in order to handle the large amount of bodies (>80). During the project, the improved codes have been continuously compared to model test results. Finally, the design of the demonstrator could be optimised for wave induced motions using the numerical tools. The U-shape lay-out provides a sheltered harbour for the container vessels to offload their goods. The demonstrator has been tested at a scale of 1:60 in MARIN’s Offshore Basin. The island could resist waves up to 6m significant height.
Multi-disciplinary project
One of the strengths of the Space@Sea project is the diversity of its consortium including architects, urban planners, logistical experts, biologists and hydrodynamic experts. There is also a diversity in type of organisation, as the experts come from commercial firms, applied research institutes and universities. Within the first phase of the project it was key to learn to understand each other’s ‘language’, as each expert sees and communicates things from their own perspective. Although this is a lengthy process, it is worth the investment. The diversity of the group minimises the risk of certain aspects being overlooked. Also, learning from each other has proven to be great fun and broadened the perspective of each participant.
Acknowledgement
Space@Sea is funded by the EU Horizon 2020 research program under project number 774253. Partners working together are Deltasync, DST, Nemos, TU Delft, Mocean Offshore, TU Hamburg Harburg, Bluewater Energy Services, Univeristy of Rostock, Gicon-Grossmann, Wageningen University, University Duisburg-Essen, TU Graz, Waterstudio, Icepronav, Val Fou, DEME and MARIN (project coordinator).
More information at www.marin.nl/jips/space-sea.
INNOVATION LAB RCSG OFFERS BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES FOR RESEARCH GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
The ‘Rijswijk Center for Sustainable Geo-energy’ (RCSG) was opened on Thursday 5 March 2020. The RCSG is a unique field lab where geothermal energy projects can be tested on a full scale.
Geothermal energy can play an important role in the energy transition; in 2050 we can provide a quarter of the heat demand in the Netherlands with geothermal energy. To accelerate this development, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate, Energie Beheer Nederland, Province of South Holland, Municipality of Rijswijk and TNO have set up RCSG. The RCSG is located in Shell’s former ‘well research and testing center’ in Rijswijk, the Netherlands. Companies active in the field of geothermal
energy can use the advanced laboratory. All facilities are available to test under high pressure and temperature and to experiment with new drilling techniques and materials. Almost all underground conditions in the Netherlands can be simulated. Only a few comparable centers exist worldwide. Importance of geothermal energy The extraction of geothermal energy can play an important role in the energy transition. It is one of the important sources in the sustainable energy supply. In the Netherlands we now produce 3.5 petajoules of geothermal energy per year, but that share must grow in the future.
Geothermal energy is expected to produce about a quarter (200 PJ) of the total demand for heat in our country by 2050. Much remains to be done when it comes to drilling more efficiently. It must become more cost-effective, with continued attention to safety. In short, many technical innovations are needed. The RCSG offers the possibility to develop and test these innovations under the high pressure and temperature conditions present in the subsoil.
Accessible to companies
The center is accessible to companies that want to experiment with (or test) new drilling techniques and materials, for geothermal energy or other sustainable applications. It provides them with access to modern facilities that they would otherwise be unable to use or use with difficulty. The companies now do not have to invest in test facilities themselves. Normally, that is far too expensive, so that potentially beautiful inventions remain unused.
Simulating practice
The center has 20 installations covering the full spectrum of underground drilling. There is a large drilling rig above an almost 400 meter deep well, in which new materials and techniques can be tested. There are hydraulic presses of 300 and 400 tons, pressure vessels up to 1,000 bar and pipe systems for pumping and testing liquids. Underground conditions can be simulated realistically to determine how materials and components behave at a depth of kilometers under high pressure or at high temperatures. More information at www.tno.nl
OIL-FREE AIR FLEET HELPS PROTECT MARINE LIFE AND IMPROVE WATER QUALITY
Thanks to increasingly stricter environmental regulations regarding offshore activities and construction, bubble curtains have become a vital aspect in multiple steps of the process. This leads to an increase in demand and Atlas Copco Rental meets that demand by investing in electric-driven and efficient diesel-driven certified 100% oil-free air compressors suitable for offshore applications. around the stationary application. The bubble curtain acts as a barrier, which drastically reduces the effects of both sub-sea shock and sound waves. Bubble curtains not only reduces sound but also create a screen that protects, deflects, herds, and guides fish and particular species away from water intakes, dams, or contaminated areas. A weighted tubing system is placed on the seafloor around the site. Compressed air creates bubbles.
However, not just any compressed air. 100% oil-free compressors supply the air Atlas Copco Rental uses to produce the bubbles. Only 100% oil-free ISO 8573-1 CLASS 0 (2010) certified air compressors can eliminate the risk of oil contamination in the compressed air system – and, in turn, the bubble curtain. Compressors with oil removal filters deliver a solution that is often referred to as ‘technically oil-free air’. However, to achieve acceptable air quality with oil-injected compressors, it is necessary to install multiple expensive components. Only 100% oil-free air compressors will be able to deliver air with Class Zero purity and can limit all risks of contamination and possible dangers for business and environment. There is no point in risking environmental oil pollution, even in small quantities.
Essential for offshore projects
Marine mammals use sound pulses or ultrasound to communicate and orient themselves in the vastness of the ocean. However, as we increase our activities at sea, the sound that we cause can confuse and eventually harm these marine animals. Drilling, prospecting activities, pile driving, blasting, etc. generates a substantial amount of noise under water. A constant sound louder than 160dB(A) can already severely disturb marine life. Reducing underwater sounds is not only a goal. It is an obligation.
To help mitigate damage to the environment and protect marine life, a literal curtain of bubbles is put into place
Beyond the ocean
Plastic waste is not something we only find on the other side of the world, or in the ocean. It is present in local waterways as well, where it brings great harm to the environment and human beings. Aquatic animals are tangled in plastic. Microplastics pose a health risk from the smallest to large organisms, and ships suffer damages. Different institutions worldwide, such as the United Nations, Ellen McArthur and the World Health Organization recognise this increasing problem. Bubble curtains are also being implemented in sweet water applications across Europe to help control the flow of debris, like plastics. The bubble curtains form a barrier that stops it from floating into smaller waterways or vice-versa. Kris Herremans, Marketing Manager of Atlas Copco: “With global temperatures rising, bubble curtains will play an ever-increasing role in sweet water applications as well. For example local waterways where our equipment can help prevent salinisation. Atlas Copco has the oil-free equipment and expertise to assist where necessary.”
As sea levels rise, lower coastal areas are inundated with saltwater, which gradually contaminates the soil. Climate change has increased the frequency and severity of extreme weather events. Including droughts and heatwaves. This leads to more intensive use of groundwater for drinking and irrigation, which then further depletes the water table and allows even more salt to leach into our soil. In an early stage, it influences the metabolism of soil organisms and reduces the soil’s quality. In an advanced stage, it leads to the destruction of all vegetation and other organisms living in the soil. Fertile and productive land becomes barren. To prevent salinisation, the bubble curtain prevents salt and fresh water from mixing. Since saltwater is heavier than fresh water, the salt water in the lower layer of the water flows into the lock when the lock gate is opened. This means that the freshwater is back in the upper layer. When the lock is opened on the other side, the saltwater then flows back out of the chamber to the fresh side, and the chamber is filled with fresh water. The role of oil-free air is vital for environmental reasons as the air is in direct contact with the water. There is no point in risking environmental oil pollution. Even the smallest quantities could have lasting, harmful effects on marine life and the environment. Only class 0 gives you 100% security!
For more info visit www.atlascopco.com/nl-nl.
