Project plans platform to harvest offshore wind

The H2OCEAN project will be led by AWS Truepower’s Barcelona office, consortium members include: Universidad de Valladolid (Spain); Universidad de Oviedo (Spain); Seta Sociedad Española de Tratamiento de Agua SL (Spain); Treelogic Telematica y Lógica Racional para la Empresa Europea SL (Spain) ; Sustainable Technologies (Spain); Virtualpie Ltd (UK); Dexa Wave Energy APS (Deenmark); Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung der Angewandten (Germany); Chlamys S.L (Italy); Viking Fish Farms Limited (UK); Institut Fuer Seeverkehrswirtschaft und Logistik (Germany); Danmarks Tekniske Universitet (Deenmark); Fusion Marine Limited (UK); D’Appolonia SPA (Italy); It Power LTD (UK); Cranfield University (UK).

AWS Truepower, specialist in renewable energy consulting and information, says the company will be leading the H2OCEAN project at the Barcelona Science Park (PCB). The project, which is funded by the European Commission 7th Framework Programme, aims to develop an innovative design for an economically and environmentally sustainable multi-use open-sea platform to harvest offshore renewable power.

The H2OCEAN platform will harvest offshore wind and wave power, using part of the energy on-site for multiple applications including a multi-trophic aquaculture farm, and convert on-site, the excess energy into hydrogen.

One feature of the H2OCEAN concept is the approach to transporting excess renewable energy generated offshore through hydrogen. This conceptual model avoids the grid imbalance problem inherent to current offshore renewable energy systems and eliminates the need for cost-prohibitive cable transmission systems.

“The H2OCEAN project is an outstanding opportunity to demonstrate how innovative approaches to energy capture and delivery can make renewable sources the number one contributor to the energy mix in Europe”, said Joan Aymamí, Vice President of International Business at AWS Truepower. “We are thrilled to be leading such a diverse team of specialists and expect the outcome of this project to exceed expectations for all stakeholders.”

H2OCEAN’s design plan will take advantage of synergies between various activities carried out within the platform, minimize environmental impacts, and increase social and economic potential of new maritime activities. Job creation and strengthening European competitiveness are also expected outcomes of the project.

The consortium involves seventeen companies and public institutions from five European countries from diverse sectors including renewable energy, aquaculture, hydrogen generation and shipping.