TONY LEWIS
About MARINET and MARINERG-i: supporting research and collaboration
Source: ©Ifremer / O. DUGORNAY
Ocean energy conversion is an emerging technology at a pre-commercial stage of development. It is estimated that the energy resource in the seas around the European coasts, in the form of ocean waves and tidal streams, exceeds present levels of electricity consumption. Ocean Energy Europe expects that around 100 GW of conversion systems will be deployed by 2050, meeting around 10 % of Europe’s electricity demand at that time.
'MARINET has accelerated technological development, particularly among SMEs; and MARINERG-i will build and consolidate a stronger, more accessible network of European testing facilities'
Some technology companies are at an advanced stage of development. These are mainly in tidal stream technology, with a number of wave energy developers progressing towards larger demonstration projects. There is reasonable convergence in tidal stream technologies (which are about five years ahead of their wave energy counterparts), with horizontal axis rotors mounted on a fixed or floating structure, but the cost of electricity is still high. There are various operating principles used in wave energy technologies, but a fully optimised, lower-cost concept has yet to be developed. Most companies in this area are SMEs with limited funds for development.
Can you briefly describe the Marinet and Marinerg-I experience?
MARINET (Marine Renewables Infrastructure Network) is essential to research and innovation for offshore renewable energy development. Funded by Horizon 2020, its second phase will run until 2021. There are 38 partners with 57 infrastructures suitable for testing wave and tidal stream energy converters, along with floating offshore wind systems and cross-cutting aspects like material and moorings behaviour, electrical power take-off and grid integration. There are also three e-infrastructures offering access to extensive datasets. Access is free of charge, with the proviso that projects are transnational and testing outcomes are published. During the first phase of MARINET, up to 2016, there were 700 weeks of access to 48 infrastructures, valued at EUR 4.3 million: comprising 300 projects and 800 users, mostly SMEs. In MARINET2 there have been three calls to date, and a total of 349 weeks of access, valued at EUR 3.8 million, have been awarded to 106 projects.
Many MARINET projects have accelerated technology development, allowing SMEs to move up through technology readiness levels (TRLs) towards commercial rollout. Without first successfully testing in MARINET infrastructures, these groups would not be able to progress to ocean deployment.
The success of the first phase of MARINET and continued funding for MARINET2 encouraged the European Commission to award funding to create a network of distributed Research Infrastructures with a coherent operational model. This will allow sustained support for research and innovation in all aspects of the offshore renewable energy sector, to help maintain Europe as a global leader in this emerging industry.
The MARINERG-i consortium has 14 partners from 12 countries and will run until mid-2019. In its first phase, MARINERG-i will establish a modern, efficient, high-quality, state-of-the-art ecosystem of members and stakeholders for cutting-edge research and innovation. MARINERG-i members will develop a formal partnership of testing facilities with clear foundational objectives and cooperation models.
If MARINERG-i is successful in its bid for inclusion in the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) roadmap, additional EU funding can be accessed to realise its full objectives over the next seven to eight years. In the interim there will still be a need for projects like MARINET.
How close is the collaboration with technology developers?
MARINET has seen in-depth collaboration between researchers and developers during both of its phases. The majority of its users have been developers – mostly SMEs. Some of these have progressed from testing at small-scale concept level to deploying kW-level devices at larger test facilities in the ocean, helped by MARINET to overcome their budgetary limitations.
©Mark McDade - NREL
Are developers interested in learning from your previous experiences?
The programme allows developers to learn from past experience. Prior to the submission of testing projects, there is close consultation between infrastructure managers and developers, optimising the tests to be carried out and transferring knowledge accumulated in the infrastructure’s experience.
'Channelling financial assistance towards building a stronger, more accessible network of uropean testing facilities will provide much-needed support for developers at all TRLs'
Short courses are also offered on a no-fee basis, based on the experience of researchers involved, together with invited experts. There were eight such specialised courses offered in MARINET phase 1, with a total of 200 attendees. In the second phase, there have been two short courses to date, with around 50 attendees.
What need is there for infrastructure now that technology is becoming commercially viable?
The SET Plan Working Group for Ocean Energy published the Ocean Energy Implementation Plan in 2018, identifying in Action 1.5 that “Test facilities and laboratories are also key enablers to allow innovation to happen. Ensuring there is good access to offshore and onshore testing facilities across Europe that meets the needs of developers requires continued support. Channelling financial assistance towards building a stronger, more accessible network of European testing facilities will provide much-needed support for developers at all TRLs.”
There is much left to do to get ocean energy technologies from idea to market readiness. MARINET has accelerated technological development, particularly among SMEs; and MARINERG-i will build and consolidate a stronger, more accessible network of European testing facilities that is vital to this emerging sector.