Periodic Reporting for period 2 - OCTTIC (Open-Centre Tidal Turbine Industrial Capability)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2017-12-01 al 2018-11-30
Mid-2018 CMI heard about the difficulties of OPENHYDRO GROUP thanks, notably, to the following article, but other sources provided the same information :
https://www.irishtimes.com/business/energy-and-resources/ocean-energy-europe-disappointed-at-openhydro-liquidation-1.3577586(si apre in una nuova finestra)
Later we heard that Grant Thornton International (Mr Daniel Burke) was appointed examiner for OPENHYDRO GROUP liquidation.
OPENHYDRO GROUP provided no information nor instruction regarding the closing of the OCTTIC project. OPENHYDRO GROUP did no transfer teh technical reports of the second reporting period to the other partners. Therefore the remaining partners are not able to provide a consolidated technical report for the second period.
OPENHYDRO GROUP was declared bankrupt on September 7th, 2018.
The Project Officer has proposed CMI to replace OPENHYDRO GROUP as coordinator of the project, which CMI accepted.
We thank the Project Officer and the EASME team for their support.
https://www.irishtimes.com/business/energy-and-resources/ocean-energy-europe-disappointed-at-openhydro-liquidation-1.3577586(si apre in una nuova finestra)
Later we heard that Grant Thornton International (Mr Daniel Burke) was appointed examiner for OPENHYDRO GROUP liquidation.
OPENHYDRO GROUP provided no information nor instruction regarding the closing of the OCTTIC project. OPENHYDRO GROUP did no transfer teh technical reports of the second reporting period to the other partners. Therefore the remaining partners are not able to provide a consolidated technical report for the second period.
OPENHYDRO GROUP was declared bankrupt on September 7th, 2018.
The Project Officer has proposed CMI to replace OPENHYDRO GROUP as coordinator of the project, which CMI accepted.
We thank the Project Officer and the EASME team for their support.
WP 1 Project Management & Reporting
OpenHydro lead this work package and effective management of the project for Year 1 has been ensured through adoption of a collaborative approach with all partners in OCTTIC. Regular meetings within and between partners have been the primary means of tracking progress and addressing any issues that may have arisen throughout Year 1. Another key aspect of this work package has been the development of a close working relationship with the EU Project Officer. All deliverables for Year 1 have been completed except for a few which have been re-programmed in consultation with the EU PO and approved via a formal amendment.
WP 2 Turbine System Optimisation
The key objective of this WP is to refine and optimise the OCT prototype design for industrialisation (reduce component cost, increase efficiency, optimise design for manufacture and assembly to reduce the lead time for turbine supply). All deliverables for Year 1 have been submitted for review. A key issue for the project in relation to this WP involved the partner Frazer Nash who were unable to participate with the project post award for contractual reasons. Ultimately, OpenHydro had an amendment approved whereby OpenHydro are now responsible for the delivery of the scope of work previously assigned to Frazer Nash. OpenHydro have developed the required competencies in-house over the past year so are technically capable of executing the work. The net effect in terms of deliverables saw a slight delay on deliverables 2.3 (M13), 2.4 (M14) & 2.5 (M12) of approximately 6 months each. There will be no delay in the overall OCTTIC programme.
WP3 Industrialisation of Turbine System Production and Assembly
The key objective of this WP was to develop the modular industrial platform which will assemble Open-Centre Turbine systems, including the design of the facility layout and tooling. OpenHydro led on this WP. Year 1 saw deliverables 3.1 and 3.2 submitted. These were the culmination of a significant amount of work that focused on the definition of the tools and processes that would be used for turbine assembly in the facility in Cherbourg. Year 2 will see further work to refine and finalise these design concepts. D3.5 has been slightly amended to reflect some changes around the scope of certification activities/deliverables. This was confirmed via the formal amendment previously described.
WP4 Life Cycle Management
The objective of this WP involves the assessment of the standard product components for the Open-Centre Turbine system and for setting up the Life Cycle Management system, which includes all requirements for deployment, operations and maintenance. CMI lead this WP with work on preparing maintenance plans and reviewing current design. This work will provide feedback into the turbine design (WP2) for optimisation of the standard product. All deliverables for this WP were re-programmed via the formal amendment process to reflect the current project progress. Significant progress on this WP is expected in Year 2.
WP 5 Exploitation and Dissemination
The objective of this WP is to ensure a comprehensive plan for the dissemination and exploitation of the project’s outputs is available and followed, and that project outcomes are communicated to a wide stakeholder audience to ensure rapid market launch and uptake.
Year 1 deliverables focused on the development of a draft dissemination and exploitation plan, stakeholder engagement plan and project specific materials such as a website and brochure. A number of organisations and industry associations have been targeted in Year 1 to facilitate dissemination of project updates, information and activity. When engaging with each organisation, the content of the materials presented was focussed on the audience interest and specific needs. The initiation of the project was covered by a press release, and updated on the website (www.OCTTIC.com). The project was highlighted in mainstream press and media, when relevant milestones, achievements or significant announcements are required to be made.
OpenHydro lead this work package and effective management of the project for Year 1 has been ensured through adoption of a collaborative approach with all partners in OCTTIC. Regular meetings within and between partners have been the primary means of tracking progress and addressing any issues that may have arisen throughout Year 1. Another key aspect of this work package has been the development of a close working relationship with the EU Project Officer. All deliverables for Year 1 have been completed except for a few which have been re-programmed in consultation with the EU PO and approved via a formal amendment.
WP 2 Turbine System Optimisation
The key objective of this WP is to refine and optimise the OCT prototype design for industrialisation (reduce component cost, increase efficiency, optimise design for manufacture and assembly to reduce the lead time for turbine supply). All deliverables for Year 1 have been submitted for review. A key issue for the project in relation to this WP involved the partner Frazer Nash who were unable to participate with the project post award for contractual reasons. Ultimately, OpenHydro had an amendment approved whereby OpenHydro are now responsible for the delivery of the scope of work previously assigned to Frazer Nash. OpenHydro have developed the required competencies in-house over the past year so are technically capable of executing the work. The net effect in terms of deliverables saw a slight delay on deliverables 2.3 (M13), 2.4 (M14) & 2.5 (M12) of approximately 6 months each. There will be no delay in the overall OCTTIC programme.
WP3 Industrialisation of Turbine System Production and Assembly
The key objective of this WP was to develop the modular industrial platform which will assemble Open-Centre Turbine systems, including the design of the facility layout and tooling. OpenHydro led on this WP. Year 1 saw deliverables 3.1 and 3.2 submitted. These were the culmination of a significant amount of work that focused on the definition of the tools and processes that would be used for turbine assembly in the facility in Cherbourg. Year 2 will see further work to refine and finalise these design concepts. D3.5 has been slightly amended to reflect some changes around the scope of certification activities/deliverables. This was confirmed via the formal amendment previously described.
WP4 Life Cycle Management
The objective of this WP involves the assessment of the standard product components for the Open-Centre Turbine system and for setting up the Life Cycle Management system, which includes all requirements for deployment, operations and maintenance. CMI lead this WP with work on preparing maintenance plans and reviewing current design. This work will provide feedback into the turbine design (WP2) for optimisation of the standard product. All deliverables for this WP were re-programmed via the formal amendment process to reflect the current project progress. Significant progress on this WP is expected in Year 2.
WP 5 Exploitation and Dissemination
The objective of this WP is to ensure a comprehensive plan for the dissemination and exploitation of the project’s outputs is available and followed, and that project outcomes are communicated to a wide stakeholder audience to ensure rapid market launch and uptake.
Year 1 deliverables focused on the development of a draft dissemination and exploitation plan, stakeholder engagement plan and project specific materials such as a website and brochure. A number of organisations and industry associations have been targeted in Year 1 to facilitate dissemination of project updates, information and activity. When engaging with each organisation, the content of the materials presented was focussed on the audience interest and specific needs. The initiation of the project was covered by a press release, and updated on the website (www.OCTTIC.com). The project was highlighted in mainstream press and media, when relevant milestones, achievements or significant announcements are required to be made.
OpenHydro continue to hold a leading position in the tidal industry and have made significant progress in the reporting period to maintain its positon as a European industrial market leader in the global tidal energy sector. Through this project the company has progressed the design of the next generation ‘Open-Centre Turbine system design’ in many areas. Improvements in the hydrodynamic design of the blades to include improved self-starting, and improvement in the optimization of blade efficiency and blade load to build on our already proven ability to generate electricity and deliver it onto the grid. An improved 3 point connection system between turbine and SSB has been designed, while significant progress has been made across both turbine and TCC in incorporating lessons learnt and feedback from the PS2 experiences into this next generation design. The work undertaken in WP3 has resulting in a facility design and optimized turbine build sequence which to our knowledge is the first in the world dedicated tidal turbine manufacturing facility Completion of this project will bridge a substantial technological gap at this critical stage in the development of the standard product and associated industrial capability that is required to take the technology from its current state (TRL7) to the point that it is ready for market uptake at an industrial level after the project is completed.