Periodic Reporting for period 1 - EU-SCORES (European Scalable Complementary Offshore Renewable Energy Sources)
Période du rapport: 2021-09-01 au 2022-10-31
In the H-2020 green deal project EU-SCORES three key challenges are addressed via the demonstration of the combination of offshore wind with wave- and offshore solar energy.
1) Challenge to maintain a reliable energy system: The main challenge for a 100% renewable energy system is to balance supply and demand at all times to ensure security of power delivery.
2) Challenge to deal with limitations in space: Some of the best locations for onshore wind and onshore solar installations in Europe are already taken or are under high competition. The required increase in offshore capacity will lead to more pressure on other stakeholders and environmental protected areas, endangering public acceptance and the health of Europe’s oceans.
3) Challenge to maintain favourable business cases for renewable energy: Future business cases are less favourable as costs for bulk energy storage are high, negative prices during peak wind times are expected and the best locations are occupied or are shadowing each other. Other offshore renewables (wave, offshore solar and tidal) are not yet being deployed on a larger scale because of technical and financial risks based on the current TRL.
EU-SCORES delivers solutions for these interconnected challenges to demonstrate large-scale roll-out of complementary offshore renewable energy source (wave, wind & solar) in so-called multi-source energy parks across different European sea basins. Since wind, sun and waves are complementary energy sources, these multi-source parks are enabling a more continuous power output which in turn leads to increased electricity grid resilience and higher capacity factors on export cable naturally balancing the overall energy system, increasing the revenues and lowering the total cost per MWh. The increased power output and capacity installed per km2 will reduce the amount of marine space needed by leaving more space for other stakeholders and environmentally protected zones, ultimately increasing the speed of implementation. Co-using of critical electrical infrastructure, and a shared operation and maintenance scheme supported by autonomous systems will lower the infrastructure costs per MWh produced.
Two technologies, offshore solar and wave energy converters, are demonstrated on a MW scale. The obtained data is used to give advice to policy maker and design credible business cases for the upscaling of those technologies inside offshore wind parks. This allows for removing technical, financial and regulatory risks. Altogether this will pave the way for bankable multi-source offshore parks across Europe by 2025. These multi-source parks will use offshore space more efficiently and balance the electricity grid to achieve a resilient and cost-effective 100% renewable energy system.
1) Challenge to maintain a reliable energy system: The main challenge for a 100% renewable energy system is to balance supply and demand at all times to ensure security of power delivery.
2) Challenge to deal with limitations in space: Some of the best locations for onshore wind and onshore solar installations in Europe are already taken or are under high competition. The required increase in offshore capacity will lead to more pressure on other stakeholders and environmental protected areas, endangering public acceptance and the health of Europe’s oceans.
3) Challenge to maintain favourable business cases for renewable energy: Future business cases are less favourable as costs for bulk energy storage are high, negative prices during peak wind times are expected and the best locations are occupied or are shadowing each other. Other offshore renewables (wave, offshore solar and tidal) are not yet being deployed on a larger scale because of technical and financial risks based on the current TRL.
EU-SCORES delivers solutions for these interconnected challenges to demonstrate large-scale roll-out of complementary offshore renewable energy source (wave, wind & solar) in so-called multi-source energy parks across different European sea basins. Since wind, sun and waves are complementary energy sources, these multi-source parks are enabling a more continuous power output which in turn leads to increased electricity grid resilience and higher capacity factors on export cable naturally balancing the overall energy system, increasing the revenues and lowering the total cost per MWh. The increased power output and capacity installed per km2 will reduce the amount of marine space needed by leaving more space for other stakeholders and environmentally protected zones, ultimately increasing the speed of implementation. Co-using of critical electrical infrastructure, and a shared operation and maintenance scheme supported by autonomous systems will lower the infrastructure costs per MWh produced.
Two technologies, offshore solar and wave energy converters, are demonstrated on a MW scale. The obtained data is used to give advice to policy maker and design credible business cases for the upscaling of those technologies inside offshore wind parks. This allows for removing technical, financial and regulatory risks. Altogether this will pave the way for bankable multi-source offshore parks across Europe by 2025. These multi-source parks will use offshore space more efficiently and balance the electricity grid to achieve a resilient and cost-effective 100% renewable energy system.
- Kick-off of 67% (31/46) of the project tasks and submission of 23% (17/73) of EU-SCORES deliverables in the first reporting period. The deliverables include: detailed technical designs, 16 permit submissions and financial predictions for the installation and upscaling of multi-source parks; baseline LCOE scenarios, the set up EU-SCORES project management, data exchange and data quality management structure; Launch of a communication & dissemination strategy and stakeholder engagement plan including an own brand identity, website and social media channels.
- Agreement on following through with the project for the full four years (consortium-wide GO decision).
- Laying the foundations on the technical and financial engineering for multi-source parks (basic Operation & Maintenance model , Financial Design model, Park output model, Resource model).
- Publication of EU-SCORES first two scientific papers in Applied Science and Energies 2022
- Received media attention in Offshore-Biz, National Geographic Portugal, Der Spiegel a.o.
- Presenting the project in more than 20 events, including: Windday (Sep.21) Expo 2020 (Oct.21) OEEC (Oct.22) WOS (Mar.22) EMD (May.22) Annual Floating Solar PV Europe Forum (Jun.22) UN Ocean Conference (Jul.22) OEE-ICOE (Oct.22)
- Set up of interactive experiences to showcase the benefits of multi-source energy parks to various stakeholders.
- Conducting a hybrid kick-off at the Marine Energy Hub in The Hague (Sep.21) two online general assemblies (Jan.22 Apr.22) and an in-person general assembly in Cork (Oct.22).
- Holding four scale-up advisory board meetings (with EDP Labelec, EGP, ENBW, ENECO, ENI, Meewind, OW, Parkwind, REN, RWE, SBE, TenneT, a.o.).
- Successful meetings with policy makers in various countries on multi-source parks (CL, US, NO, NL, DE, IT, DK, PT, BE).
- Agreement on following through with the project for the full four years (consortium-wide GO decision).
- Laying the foundations on the technical and financial engineering for multi-source parks (basic Operation & Maintenance model , Financial Design model, Park output model, Resource model).
- Publication of EU-SCORES first two scientific papers in Applied Science and Energies 2022
- Received media attention in Offshore-Biz, National Geographic Portugal, Der Spiegel a.o.
- Presenting the project in more than 20 events, including: Windday (Sep.21) Expo 2020 (Oct.21) OEEC (Oct.22) WOS (Mar.22) EMD (May.22) Annual Floating Solar PV Europe Forum (Jun.22) UN Ocean Conference (Jul.22) OEE-ICOE (Oct.22)
- Set up of interactive experiences to showcase the benefits of multi-source energy parks to various stakeholders.
- Conducting a hybrid kick-off at the Marine Energy Hub in The Hague (Sep.21) two online general assemblies (Jan.22 Apr.22) and an in-person general assembly in Cork (Oct.22).
- Holding four scale-up advisory board meetings (with EDP Labelec, EGP, ENBW, ENECO, ENI, Meewind, OW, Parkwind, REN, RWE, SBE, TenneT, a.o.).
- Successful meetings with policy makers in various countries on multi-source parks (CL, US, NO, NL, DE, IT, DK, PT, BE).
Impact I - reliable and low-cost energy system.
Diversification of energy sources will lead to less required capacity and fewer grid balancing systems needed to generate the same amount of electricity. Besides that, a continuous power output makes it possible to match supply and demand at any time, thereby providing a higher value for industrial processes, energy service providers and the production of green hydrogen. This will make the EU energy system more reliable and affordable. EU-SCORES will demonstrate this impact via advanced energy system modelling on a pan-European level and in specific regions (Iberia, Ireland, Benelux) and will enable it through the demonstration of MW scale innovative devices.
Impact II - efficient and sustainable use of available offshore space.
The competition for a limited amount of offshore and onshore space will make the installation of large-scale parks increasingly difficult. EU-SCORES will actively engage with local stakeholder and policy makers to understand their concerns and challenges, while displaying the positive socio-economic and environmental aspects of multi-source parks. An energy system model will be used to evaluate the decreased need for over-capacity installations and system flexibility providing technologies. Together, the total need for onshore as well as offshore space and the amount of used rare materials will be reduced. Further reduction of offshore space will be achieved by co-locating the different offshore renewable energy sources (solar, wind, wave) enabling 1.2 – 5x the electricity production per km2. Environmental impact assessments at the demonstration sites will evaluate this impact on the natural habitats of offshore solar PV and wave energy system co-located with offshore wind further. Multiple engagement events in Portugal, Belgium and the Netherlands as well as policy advisory reports will help to inform and engage stakeholders, governments and local communities.
Impact III - improved business case and increased investment incentive.
The large-scale deployment via private investments will be the key aspect of making multi-source parks and the energy transition achievable. The two main drivers for private investments are reducing costs and increasing revenues, which are both addressed by EU-SCORES. Firstly, de-risking and assessing the co-use of electrical infrastructure, installation processes, supply chain and integrated O&M schemes will address the associated costs. Secondly, a resource assessment and market model with high spatial and temporal resolution will allow to understand the revenues of such a park with diversified sources. Combined a full business case including financial mechanisms, cost of capital and impact of policy measures for multi-source parks can be made.
Diversification of energy sources will lead to less required capacity and fewer grid balancing systems needed to generate the same amount of electricity. Besides that, a continuous power output makes it possible to match supply and demand at any time, thereby providing a higher value for industrial processes, energy service providers and the production of green hydrogen. This will make the EU energy system more reliable and affordable. EU-SCORES will demonstrate this impact via advanced energy system modelling on a pan-European level and in specific regions (Iberia, Ireland, Benelux) and will enable it through the demonstration of MW scale innovative devices.
Impact II - efficient and sustainable use of available offshore space.
The competition for a limited amount of offshore and onshore space will make the installation of large-scale parks increasingly difficult. EU-SCORES will actively engage with local stakeholder and policy makers to understand their concerns and challenges, while displaying the positive socio-economic and environmental aspects of multi-source parks. An energy system model will be used to evaluate the decreased need for over-capacity installations and system flexibility providing technologies. Together, the total need for onshore as well as offshore space and the amount of used rare materials will be reduced. Further reduction of offshore space will be achieved by co-locating the different offshore renewable energy sources (solar, wind, wave) enabling 1.2 – 5x the electricity production per km2. Environmental impact assessments at the demonstration sites will evaluate this impact on the natural habitats of offshore solar PV and wave energy system co-located with offshore wind further. Multiple engagement events in Portugal, Belgium and the Netherlands as well as policy advisory reports will help to inform and engage stakeholders, governments and local communities.
Impact III - improved business case and increased investment incentive.
The large-scale deployment via private investments will be the key aspect of making multi-source parks and the energy transition achievable. The two main drivers for private investments are reducing costs and increasing revenues, which are both addressed by EU-SCORES. Firstly, de-risking and assessing the co-use of electrical infrastructure, installation processes, supply chain and integrated O&M schemes will address the associated costs. Secondly, a resource assessment and market model with high spatial and temporal resolution will allow to understand the revenues of such a park with diversified sources. Combined a full business case including financial mechanisms, cost of capital and impact of policy measures for multi-source parks can be made.