Support to the Realisation of the Ocean Energy Implementation Plan of the SET-Plan

Project Information

OceanSET

Grant agreement ID: 840651

DOI

10.3030/840651

Project closed

EC signature date 15 March 2019

Start date 16 March 2019

End date 15 March 2022

Funded under

• SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Secure, clean and efficient energy

Total cost

€ 1 043 745,00

EU contribution

€ 992 028,50

Coordinated by

THE SUSTAINABLE ENERGY AUTHORITY OF IRELAND
Ireland

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - OceanSET (Support to the Realisation of the Ocean Energy Implementation Plan of the SET-Plan)

Reporting period: 2020-09-16 to 2022-03-15

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The OceanSET project was developed to support the progress of the Implementation Plan for Ocean Energy under the European Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET Plan). The Ocean Energy Implementation Plan was adopted by the SET-Plan Steering Committee on the 21st of March 2018.

The Ocean Energy Implementation Plan focuses on the key challenges for wave and tidal energy technologies. Its ambition is to outline a structured approach that will enable wave and tidal technologies to follow a credible development path, with the ultimate destination of a commercially viable wave and tidal industry. The overall target is to bring LCOE Costs for tidal stream and wave technologies to 10ct/kWh by 2030 and 2035 respectively.

The OceanSET project focused on assessing the progress of the ocean energy sector and monitoring National and European Union (EU) funded projects in delivering successful supports. Relevant data was collected annually to help inform MS and the EC on the progress of the sector. It was also used to review what works and what doesn’t and to assess how to maximise the benefit of the funding streams provided across the Regions, MS and the EC.

In addition to gathering data on the funding supports, the Oceanset Partners have focussed on reviewing progress of the Eleven Technology Development Actions have been identified in the SET-Plan IP and have been identified as significant areas to action in order to reduce LCOE for these technologies.

The OceanSET project has identified three key objectives to achieve the goal of supporting the realisation of the Ocean Energy SET Plan IP.
1. Facilitate the implementation of the Technical Actions of the Implementation Plan and provide support to the IWG
2. Promote knowledge sharing across the EC, MS, Regions and other stakeholders in the Ocean Energy sector
3. Investigate collaborative funding mechanism(s) between MS and Regions

The project has been in operation since March 2019. The partnership comprises of the following 9 organisations:
1. Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) Lead Partner
2. Wave Energy Scotland (WES)
3. Direção Geral de Energia e Geologia (DGEG)
4. Ocean Energy Europe (OEE)
5. FRANCE ENERGIES MARINES (FEM)
6. Agenzia nazionale per le nuove tecnologie, l'energia e lo sviluppo economico sostenibile (ENEA)
7. Ente Vasco de la Energía (EVE)
8. The University of Edinburgh (UEDIN)
9. Consorcio para el diseño, construcción, equipamiento y explotación de la Plataforma Oceánica de Canarias (PLOCAN)

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

Work progressed well on the project. Over the last 36 months the main focus of the project partners has been on the development and dissemination of surveys to collate relevant information from Member States and technology developers. 3 sets of surveys were issued covering 2018, 2019 and 202 and the results of each were analysed and published. Three Annual Reports covering each of the three years have been published.

Among the main achievements and deliverables completed were:

• Creation of the OceanSET project management documents;
• Creation of a new project website;
• Development and distribution of comprehensive surveys over three years to Member States and technologies on status of projects
• Analysis of data received from these surveys to compile the following reports:
-Funding Gap Analysis and Recommendation Report;
-Monitoring and Review Report;
-Report on Dissemination and Communication activities
• Publication and distribution of five OceanSET newsletters;
• Publication of three Annual Reports;
• Organisation of three knowledge sharing workshops;
• Definition of metrics to monitor the progress of wave and tidal energy activities;
• The development of a Pre-Commercial Procurement Programme including the completion of a set of call documentation ready for release upon commencement of a PCP
• Design options for an insurance and guarantee fund


Project management procedures were put in place and the consortium worked very well together. Project Management Plan (PMP) handbook and Quality Handbook prepared as well as procedures and policies to deal with data protection and GDPR.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Overall the project progressed well and there were a number of significant outputs in the form of the website; annual reports and knowledge sharing workshops, as well as the development of a Pre-Commercial Procurement Programme including the completion of a set of call documentation ready for release upon commencement of a PCP, and the presentation of design options for an insurance and guarantee fund.

In addition, there were positive indications that the developers are more engaged in supporting the work of the project and responses to as the project progressed.

Work was also carried out to continue to support the progress of the IWG and to review Implementation Action delivery- which in turn will ultimately support the objectives to deliver on the Set Plan Implementation Plan for Ocean Energy to bring LCOE Costs for tidal stream and wave technologies to 10ct/kWh by 2030 and 2035 respectively.

Following the publications of the EU’s ‘Strategy on Offshore Renewable Energy’ by the European Commission in November 2020, and the European Technology and Innovation Platform for Ocean Energy (ETIP Ocean) ‘Strategic Research an Innovation Agenda for Ocean Energy’ in June 2020, the actions of the Implementation Plan were revised in 2021. The revised Ocean Energy IP contains a new set of operational priority actions identified from the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda.

Ocean wave