O4S

Accelerating Offshore Energy Transition: Netherlands and Flanders Launch OFFSHORE FOR SURE Project

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In the coming years, renewable energy at sea will receive a significant boost. Fifteen partners from Flanders and the Netherlands are pooling their expertise in the Offshore For Sure project to test five promising energy solutions and enhance their applicability in the energy system. The project’s objective is to accelerate the energy transition at sea and drive the sustainable blue economy in collaboration with knowledge institutions, regional, and societal organizations. The Interreg Flanders-Netherlands program for 2021-2027 supports this collaboration.

During the three-year duration of the project, the project partners will invest more than 10 million euros in the Flemish-Dutch border region. This investment is made possible in part by the European Interreg Flanders-Netherlands program and co-financiers. The consortium believes that these offshore energy solutions will contribute to a smarter, greener, and more co-operative Europe. BLUESPRING is the initiator behind the Offshore For Sure project idea and acts as the project coordinator.

Five Innovations and Supporting Partners

The five demonstration projects represent innovative solutions from technology developers with a proven track record and a clear plan for deployment in the fields of tidal energy, wave energy, offshore floating solar energy, and energy storage:

For their developments, the technology developers can rely on the knowledge and expertise of partners Bluespring, World Class Maintenance, International Marine; Dredging Consultants, Ecopower, Rijkswaterstaat, Parkwind, Ghent University, HOWEST, Deftiq, and the Zeeland Environmental Federation.

Collaboration Focused on Three Domains

Activities in the project have strong ties to the regions where they are conducted and have both local and international impact. Therefore, we are developing various services for different groups to maximize the gained experience and apply it internationally.

Policy & Public Engagement

As a significant portion of the developments take place at sea, outside the view of residents and their living environment, we aim to involve people in the projects, exchange knowledge, and thereby increase support and awareness. We work closely with nature and environmental organizations, cooperatives, and similar projects.

Education

We are developing learning trajectories, including online and hybrid courses, based on the knowledge acquired during the project’s implementation. We promote student exchange and establish collaboration between educational partners in Flanders and the Netherlands.

Certification

We are working on certification services for testing in laboratories and at sea to ensure the efficiency and robustness of the developed systems.

Sustainable Perspective

The yield of our offshore energy transition is assessed by three types of end users: governments, project developers, and citizen cooperatives. Through their approval of our business cases, we attract further investments for both technology and projects. This should lead to bankable projects for the future, contributing to economic growth in the region and creating new jobs in the sustainable blue economy.

Stay informed or get involved

Are you interested in becoming involved as a stakeholder in the implementation of the project, or would you like to stay informed about the developments of Offshore For Sure? We invite you to express your interest.

Go to contact form

For more information:
Bluespring BV
Sia Windig – Head of Communications
sia.windig@bluespring.blue
+31 6 49 83 81 64

About the OFFSHORE FOR SURE Project: www.OffshoreForSure.eu

OFFSHORE FOR SURE receives funding from the Interreg Flanders-Netherlands 2021-2027 program VI, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund under subsidy contract number Int6B015. Additionally, the Ministry of Economic Affairs in the Netherlands, the Dutch provinces of Zeeland, North Brabant, and South Holland, as well as the Flemish Agency for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (VLAIO) and the province of East Flanders provide financial support.

About INTERREG FLANDERS-NETHERLANDS:
Interreg Flanders-Netherlands subsidizes projects with shared borders for smart, green, and inclusive growth. Interreg Flanders-Netherlands has received over 205 million euros from the European Regional Development Fund (EFRO) to invest in valuable projects between 2021 and 2027.

About the Partners:

  • BLUESPRING: has extensive experience in managing complex, long-term international collaboration projects in the field of offshore renewable energy, with a specialization in certification.
  • Parkwind N.V.:  is a green energy company that develops, finances, and operates offshore wind farms. With over ten years of experience and 771 megawatts under operational management, Parkwind has four operational wind farms in Belgium and is currently developing the Arcadis Ost I project in Germany (257 MW).
  • Ecopower: a citizen cooperative, has been dedicated to building a democratic, decentralized, and sustainable energy system through citizen participation for over 30 years. With 67,000 cooperative members and 55,000 customers, Ecopower has invested over 100 million euros in wind, solar, sustainable heat, and hydropower projects.
  • Rijkswaterstaat Offshore Expertise Centre (RWS): Rijkswaterstaat Offshore Expertise Centre provides platforms at wind farms in the North Sea with sensors to collect a wide variety of data. These sensors contribute to monitoring marine ecosystems and maritime safety and cybersecurity.
  • Dutch Wave Power: develops a point absorber wave energy converter and has extensive testing experience at, among others, MARIN and Deltares. The technology of Dutch Wave Power consists of a floating body with all energy conversion components completely sealed off from seawater. The floating body moves with the rotating motion of the waves.
  • Water2Energy Projects BV: develops a vertical-axis tidal turbine and has successfully conducted pilots in the Port of Antwerp and the port of Vlissingen as part of the ENCORE project. With 30 years of experience in shipbuilding and offshore technology, and 15 years in the field of tidal turbines.
  • FLASC: develops an energy storage system that utilizes hydropneumatic pressure (HPES). Electricity is stored by pumping seawater into a closed chamber where the compressed air further compresses it. The energy is recovered when the compressed air forces the seawater out through the same pump turbine.
  • Tocardo: is a supplier and developer of free-flowing tidal energy turbines with a pre-commercial dam-integrated plant in the Eastern Scheldt storm surge barrier since 2015.
  • Offshore Solar BV: (part of Oceans of Energy, OOE) is a Dutch company specializing in the design, construction, and operation of offshore solar energy systems since 2016. They also conduct research on ecological impacts and energy systems. OOE now has four years of experience in offshore solar under offshore conditions, positioning them at the forefront of the industry worldwide. OOE operates the pilot project NS2, which is operational at the Offshore Test Site, located 12 km off the coast of Scheveningen.
  • World Class Maintenance (WCM): is the network for ‘smart maintenance’ in the Netherlands. Their goal is ambitious: to achieve 100% predictable maintenance. WCM achieves this by developing, disseminating, and applying smart maintenance knowledge. Key pillars include the WCM Fieldlab projects, which challenge entire sectors to accelerate innovations through collaborative experimentation.
  • International Marine and Dredging Consultants (IMDC): is an international engineering and consulting firm specializing in natural waters: precipitation, groundwater, rivers, estuaries, coastal areas, ports, marine waters, offshore energy, and power cables. IMDC employs more than 110 specialists. Since 2000, IMDC has been assisting government agencies, project developers, and contractors in the realization of complex offshore energy projects: offshore substations, submarine electricity cables, fixed and floating offshore wind, tidal, and wave energy projects.
  • Environmental Federation of Zeeland (ZMf): is the organization dedicated to nature, environment, and sustainability in Zeeland. This means advocating for important and vulnerable nature, also on behalf of the 26 affiliated organizations and over 600 individual members. They are building towards a balanced future by promoting sustainable initiatives and working towards a circular society. Their strength lies in connecting people and ideas, and they have a growing positive impact on their surroundings. This impact sometimes extends beyond national borders, working with Flemish partners to create a healthier living environment.
  • Ghent University (UG): strongly focuses on the development of knowledge and research in the field of sustainable blue economy. The Department of Civil Engineering (Coastal Engineering Research Group) and Soete Laboratory contribute their expertise and facilities to support the innovations. Ghent University coordinates the Education and Training activities in the project. With The Reef, an innovative XR Training Lab at Ostend Science Park, the university, along with HOWEST, provides a perfect location for collaboration between knowledge partners and businesses.
  • HOWEST (University College West Flanders): is a University College for Applied Sciences and Arts, an institution for higher education located in West Flanders, Belgium. Howest is also deeply involved in innovation and R&D activities. Howest has technological expertise in a wide range of topics such as security and privacy, applied artificial intelligence, analytics, and machine learning in the cloud, Internet of Things, and human interface technologies.
  • Deftiq: develops targeted training programs for organizations and their technical professionals. These trainings are offered in Deftiq’s online learning environment. Deftiq’s aim is to make the acquired knowledge of O4S accessible through high-quality e-learning content.

With financial support of:

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New Chief Technical Officer joined Tocardo

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Matt Reed

Matt Reed has been appointed as the new Chief Technical Officer at Tocardo and will take the lead on the development of the Tocardo T-2si turbine. Matt brings considerable experience to the team and was previously the Engineering Director for Marine Current Turbines and was instrumental in leading the development of the Seagen Project – the world’s first commercial tidal turbine. Matt has most recently been supporting HydroWing on the development of the Patented Turbine Control Hub under the ERDF Marine-I Program, developing a fully redundant control system for multiple turbine systems. On completion of this assignment he will transfer as CTO to Tocardo.

T-2si development

Tocardo are currently developing an upgraded version of the T-2 turbine called the T-2si – this has innovative control features allowing the turbines to produce higher yield beyond rated capacity using innovative control and blade technology. Matt will be supported by the Tocardo team and the parent companies HydroWing and QED Naval who are developing subsea tidal energy projects. Additionally, Matt will lead on supervising the ongoing developments at the OTP project in Zeeland.

Morlais tidal siteTocardo

HydroWing to demonstrate next generation Tocardo Turbines at Morlais

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30 MW at Morlais

HydroWing Ltd have been awarded a berth with 30 MW potential at Morlais a tidal site located in Angelsey, Wales, and operated by Menter Môn. The company plans a phased approach starting with a commercial demonstrator project in 2023 which will be operated by HydroWing’s newly established Welsh entity: HydroWing Tidal Projects Ltd. The initial project looks to cement the technology at the site, grow the Welsh team and develop the essential strong local supply chains and stakeholder relations to subsequently enable roll out toward the full 30 MW.
The device will be installed using the recently acquired Inyanga Entsha the new Dynamically-Positioned (DP2) Multi-Purpose Vessel. The Entsha, powered by DC Electric Propulsion, offers 35% increased energy efficiency leading to very low fuel consumption and high reliability unlocking efficient processes for the HydroWing’s installation, Operation and Maintenance. The vessel is currently in Appledore, Devon, where it is being upgraded with intelligent launch and recovery systems. Inyanga Entsha in combination with Tocardo’s reliable turbines and a low-cost mobilisation strategy are key to ensuring that tidal energy can compete with other renewable energy technologies.

Inyanga Entsha

HydroWing will work closely with the local supply chain in North Wales to deliver this demonstration phase. This commitment is strengthened with the joining of Marine Energy Wales cluster in early 2022. The front-end engineering design is currently being undertaken and over the next months HydroWing will undertake detailed analysis and design to ensure optimised configuration of the turbines.

Tocardo Tidal Turbines

The HydroWing device has been inspired by the Tocardo’s flagship OTP Project and the world’s largest single installation of tidal turbines (5 turbines). This 1.25 MW project has operated on the Eastern Scheldt barrier since 2015 with turbines arranged on a wing in a similar configuration to the HydroWing. The proven long term robustness, reliability and remote-control capability gives confidence to developing arrays of turbines on HydroWing. The key advantages of these turbines, aside from the proven reliability, is the compact nature of the device, allowing low-cost logistics using standard containers.

Tocardo OTP

This project will demonstrate the next generation Tocardo T-2si Turbines configured into the HydroWing Structure. The new turbines will feature enhanced blade performance and control innovation to provide low cost, clean, predictable and reliable electricity to the Local Grid. The new turbines integrated with HydroWing configuration will reduce the CAPEX while retaining the excellent robust reliability for which Tocardo are renowned.

Tocardo T-2si

The five installed turbines on the Eastern Scheldt barrier have each accumulated 6 years of operation with 95% availability proving it to be a robust, reliable, and low-cost system with limited need for physical intervention- giving confidence to integrating these turbines into HydroWing’s subsea system to take advantage of tidal sector’s biggest market segment.

HydroWing Technology

The HydroWing is a multi-rotor subsea device with three turbines mounted on a wing like structure which is stabbed onto a sub-structure, a modular gravity-based frame mounted on the seabed.

The device can be a single or double wing, depending on the depth of water at the site. The key advantages of the technology are the enhanced redundancy of the multi-rotor system and the high packing density capable of extracting 275 MW/km² of seabed space with robust simplicity and reduced CAPEX. The Power is integrated through the patented Turbine Control Hub mounted in the wing and electrical/ data connection is via wet mate connectors, allowing quick and simple installation and recovery.

Quotes

Richard Parkinson, MD HydroWing: “We are very excited to demonstrate our HydroWing with the next generation Turbines at Morlais. Our key objective is to demonstrate that tidal energy can be cost competitive versus other renewable energy sources. We look forward to working with the local supply chain and collaborating with other developers at Morlais.”

Andries van Unen, CEO Tocardo: “For Tocardo, the development of the T-2si turbine marks an important milestone on the technology roadmap and will open the door to the offshore tidal market. With the HydroWing, our expertise, business partners and existing technology base, the Morlais project is the perfect stepping stone for Tocardo to determine our course and to claim our position in the market.”

Gerallt Llewelyn Jones, SRO Morlais Energy: “Morlais welcomes Inyanga and we look forward to a productive relationship in progressing this important industry and creating benefits for the local and regional economy.”

Maak kennis met marine energy innovaties

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De wereld achter het stopcontact

Kom ook naar Open Duurzame Energie Dag op zaterdag 11 september! Ontdek de wereld achter het stopcontact en de thermostaat. Waar komen elektriciteit en warmte eigenlijk vandaan? En hoe zorgen we ervoor dat die energie steeds schoner wordt? Ontdek het nu tijdens de Open Energie Dag.

Tocardo in samenwerking met DMEC

Wil je meer weten over Tocardo en onze getijdenstroomenergieturbines? Aanstaande zaterdag zullen ook wij ons bedrijf presenteren. Omdat onze locaties minder geschikt zijn om publiek te ontvangen, zullen wij ons presteren in Den Haag op het kantoor van Dutch Marine Energy Centre (DMEC). Hierbij nodigen we je uit voor de openstelling van het DMEC in de haven van Scheveningen.

Ook aanwezig

Behalve  het team van DMEC en Tocardo zullen ook andere bedrijven zich presenteren op deze locatie:

Open Duurzame Energie Dag

Op de Open Duurzame Energie Dag van de NVDE op worden duurzame energieprojecten in Nederland opengesteld voor het publiek. Zie ook de website van de NVDE voor alle locaties die op deze dag open gaan.

COVID-proof

Het event zal COVID-proof plaatsvinden. Er is genoeg ruimte in het pand van DMEC om afstand te houden, en de nodige hygiëne maatregelen zullen uiteraard worden getroffen.

Marine Energy WalesMarine Energy Wales

State of the sector 2021 report – Marine Energy Wales

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Marine Energy Wales

Wales is working hard to gain the early mover advantage to position itself as a global leader for the marine energy sector. Marine Energy Wales brings together technology developers, supply chain, academia and the public sector. Recently Marine Energy Wales published their state of the sector report edition 2021. Furthermore, Marine Energy Wales works to create a supportive policy environment to ensure that Wales remains one of the hotspots for emerging technologies such as tidal energy. Based upon their latest insights they are successful; the investment in the sector increased.

Investment in the marine energy sector has increased for the fifth year in a row

The 2021 State of the Sector report – published July 20th – details the recent developments in the industry, and looks forward to what the future has to offer. The key message of this report is: investment in the marine energy sector has increased for the fifth year in a row. Twenty emerging developers are progressing projects in Wales. In addition, four test and demonstration sites are under development. You can download the full report here: State of the Sector 2021

The importance of Welsh developments for Tocardo

In view of the region’s scale and ambitions, we closely monitor these developments. Not least because our JV partners have ambitions to install capacity on the Morlais tidal site. Wales has benefitted from our ambitions already with QED Naval establishing itself here and from recent orders and, as QED sets about acquiring site options for the future.

Jeremy Smith & Keith Murray

QED is now showcasing its community scale Subhub platform equiped with our robust and proven Tocardo T-1 tidal turbines. Furthermore, QED is building its next generation 1 MW industrial scale platform.

Cover Change Inc. June 2021Change Inc.

The potential of tidal power in the Netherlands

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The potential of tidal power in the Netherlands

In the past month, much attention has been paid to Tocardo’s activities in the Netherlands and the potential of tidal power in the Netherlands. Our power plant in the Dutch icon Eastern Scheldt barrier plays a starring role to underwrite the business potential. For everyone who missed it or who doesn’t master the Dutch language, here’s a summary for you!

Change Inc.

We are very pleased that the Dutch platform Change Inc. lately published an article about the potential of this renewable energy source in the Netherlands and Tocardo in particular. Change Inc is a platform that connects people, business and ideas for a better future. Change Inc. is independent, objective and relevant. That makes Change Inc. a powerful and platform for people working on SDG’s. A brief summary of this article: A diverse energy network is a more secure, resilient and cost-effective. Wind and Solar alone cannot replace fossil fuel power generation, the complementary characteristics of tidal energy will be crucial for a successful transition.

Virtual Gateway to the Netherlands showcases OTP in VR

Tocardo OTP project is also present at the Virtual Gateway to the Netherlands. The Virtual gateway enables foreign business and governments to experience Dutch solutions and products without traveling but still connects with everyone involved. Get your VR cardboard ready and watch the video here!

Tocardo OTP

Dutch Parliament and the VR experience

A Parliamentary debate was held on 10 June, in which the letter to Parliament regarding Electricity from Water was also on the agenda. Prior to the debate, DMEC handed over a photobook to gain attention for the sector and some of the present parliamentarians viewed the VR experience. During July the outcome of the debate will become public. In the Dutch province of Zeeland, tidal energy can contribute approximately 9% (1 PJ) per annum to the total production of renewable energy (11 PJ).

OTP

Join our development team

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Join our development team

Join our development team! At Tocardo we are looking for people who lead the way, because we cannot keep talking about the sustainable future; we prefer to turn our vision into reality. If you want to be part of the successful transition towards a renewable energy system join our team! Currently we have got two open positions in our development team based in Wieringerwerf, the Netherlands.

Chief Technical Officer
As a Chief Technical Officer, you manage the engineering team and support the integration of our turbine technology with the foundation solutions and the grid, where you are responsible for overseeing the whole chain.

Electrical Engineer
As an Electrical Engineer you will become a member of our technology development team working on our cutting-edge tidal turbine technology, being responsible for overseeing and development of the electrical design, SCADA system, PLC’s and testing components including several related sub-systems.

We are looking for people who lead the way. Our workshop and office are situated nearby Medemblik, in a region where traffic jams are infrequent.

#1000 Solutions

Solar Impulse Efficient Solution Label for our technology

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#1000solutions

Tocardo’s technology has received the “Solar Impulse Efficient Solution” Label, an award for clean and profitable solutions. Thanks to our expertise, our strong portfolio of products and our commitment to reliable, sustainable energy solutions our tidal energy turbine technology was attributed the “Solar Impulse Efficient Solution” Label following an assessment performed by external independent experts and based on verified standards. It is thereby joining the #1000solutions challenge, an initiative by the Solar Impulse Foundation to select solutions that meet high standards in profitability and sustainability and present them to decision-makers to fast-track their implementation.

Renewables have grown rapidly in recent year, but in many cases intermittency of supply remains an issue. Tidal energy offers a solution to this by providing a dependable power source that can support and enhance existing green energy solutions. Tocardo’s tidal turbine solution makes use of the tides and river streams to propel blades and offer customers local, predictable and balanced power generation. With the worldwide tidal market potential being 500 GW, tidal power innovations such as Tocardo’s turbines hold huge environmental and economic potential.

To receive the “Solar Impulse Efficient Solution” Label, our technology was thoroughly assessed by a pool of independent experts. According to five criteria covering the three main topics of Feasibility, Environmental and Profitability. All labelled solutions are part of the #1000solutions portfolio that will be presented to decision-makers in business and government by Bertrand Piccard, Chairman of the Solar Impulse Foundation. The aim of this initiative is to encourage the adoption of more ambitious environmental targets and fast-track the implementation of these solutions on a large scale.

About the “Solar Impulse Efficient Solution” Label

One of the first labels for positive impact businesses bringing together protection of the environment and financial viability, the “Solar Impulse Efficient Solution” Label is attributed following an assessment performed by external independent experts. In collaboration with renowned institutions, solutions applying for the label must go through a neutral methodology based on verified standards. This label serves as an award for clean and profitable solutions.

About the Solar Impulse Foundation

The Solar Impulse Foundation is dedicated to accelerating the implementation of clean and profitable solutions. Moreover, the Foundation is helping decision-makers in businesses and governments to achieve their environmental targets and adopt more ambitious energy policies, which are necessary to pull these solutions to market. A way to carry the success of the first solar-powered flight around the world further.

What is the impact of tidal energy on the environment?

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Greenhouse gases
The most important advantage of sustainable energy, of course, is that it is better for the environment. One of the major drivers for tidal stream power generation is combatting climate change by reducing the CO2 emissions by being: a 100% renewable, 100% reliable and 100% predictable energy source. Every kWh of power generated by ‘tidal’ saves ~1,000g CO2, compared to the same power generated by diesel. Diesel power generation is often used in remote island communities and has a carbon intensity of 250g/kWh which, when coupled with the relevant plant efficiency of ~25% gives an effective carbon intensity of 1,000g/kWh. Beside a significant reduction of CO2 emissions, tidal energy also contributes to a reduction in the emission of all other types of greenhouse gas, such as methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O). These gases are released during the combustion of fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural gas, to produce power. In addition to greenhouse gas emissions, tidal energy has no air emissions, such as soot and fine particles, which are related to human cancer, heart and lung damage as well as mental functioning.

Noise and vibrations
The few studies that have been undertaken to date to identify the environmental impacts of a tidal power scheme have determined that each specific site is different and the impacts depend greatly upon local geography. What has been studied in the Netherlands so far? No underwater acoustic measurements have been carried out near the existing turbines in the Eastern Scheldt Storm Surge Barrier. Depending on their spectrum and source level, and on local propagation conditions, the sounds produced by the turning turbines may or may not have an effect on porpoise behaviour. However, porpoises are expected to cross the barrier only at and around slack tides, when the turbines are not moving and are thus not producing sound. If sound produced by the turning turbines is audible to the porpoises in the vicinity, it will either add an extra barrier effect, or help the porpoises to locate the turbines and thus avoid colliding with them. In the past we’ve also studied noise nearby the Tocardo turbines in the Dutch icon the Afsluitdijk; on site it appeared that the noise from the turbines was practically imperceptible.

Sea life
One of the important issues with sites were high flow rates occur is that marine mammals commonly visit and feed in these areas. During the years 2015 – 2016 no correlation with the amount of grey seals and normal seals counted (increase / decrease of numbers) in the Eastern Scheldt and the presence of tidal turbines was identified. Tocardo strives to produce fish friendly, innovative turbine solutions. In April 2019 a fish mortality was executed at the Afsluitdijk during the operations of three (3) T-1 Turbines, in front of the turbine the current velocity was 2.5 m/s. The results of the tests with smolts and silver eel are in accordance with the outcome of the model calculations, as for both species the immediate mortality is 0.00%. No turbine related injuries of fish were observed, although fish clearly interacted with the turbine blades.

Subhub
The optimized solution to have a minimum impact on the environment is by making use of a seabed mounted system so it is invisible from the surface and maintains the seascape and navigation channels of shipping, and it is beyond the diving depth of most birds. Tocardo’s business partner QED Naval has developed the Subhub platform to avoid having any negative impact on the environment: one of the key design drivers for Subhub is to minimise the environmental impact of the platform.