Back to search

SFI-Sentre for forskningsdrevet innovasjon

BLUES - Floating structures for the next generation ocean industries

Alternative title: BLUES - Neste generasjons flytende havkonstruksjoner

Awarded: NOK 96.0 mill.

The goal of SFI BLUES is to strengthen Norway’s marine-based industry by developing floating structures for offshore wind, solar power, aquaculture, and coastal infrastructure. The world faces numerous industrial and societal challenges, and the ocean offers significant opportunities for solutions. There is a global need for clean energy to address climate challenges, and changes in dietary habits and population growth create a demand for secure and healthy food sources. Coastal areas require flexible infrastructure for transport and urban development. SFI BLUES brings together key players in research and industry to collaboratively address scientific development needs. This will enable floating structures for future needs, contributing to global solutions. User partners represent value and supply chains across the energy, food, and infrastructure markets, giving SFI BLUES significant potential for increased value creation. In 2024, SFI BLUES has seen substantial research activity, with 11 PhD students and four postdocs working at the center. Additionally, 18 master’s students, many collaborating closely with user partners, have been involved. The center has produced 42 papers, along with numerous datasets, models, and software tools for floating and anchored structures. The center’s focus areas are divided into four main categories: floating offshore wind, floating solar (FPV), new aquaculture structures, and floating coastal infrastructure. These “use cases” help identify knowledge and technology gaps, shaping the center’s research activities. Detailed descriptions are available in the center’s roadmap and innovation document, both updated annually. Some research results are highlighted below. Designing new and innovative floating infrastructure requires understanding the interaction between waves, currents, and structural behavior. This is crucial for developing new types of floating structures, such as closed-containment aquaculture systems and floating solar parks (FPV). For FPV, structures need to cover larger areas, and there is a wide variety of concepts using different material combinations and components. A major challenge is predicting how these concepts behave in waves and currents. We have extensively modeled and validated the hydrodynamic response of both membrane-based and multi-modular offshore PV systems. Future floating wind farms will consist of turbine systems sharing anchoring systems or anchors. Analyzing this with current tools is complex and demanding. Existing methods for anchoring dynamics are either too computationally heavy or too inaccurate. We are developing a simplified anchoring line model to accurately represent floater movements, which can be used with established design tools for larger systems of interconnected floating wind turbines. Improved methods for predicting anchor and anchor line response in soil are also being developed. This is necessary because floating structures are subjected to dynamic loads from waves, wind, and currents, causing dynamic movement of anchor lines. Such movement can lead to trenching in the seabed, drastically reducing anchor holding capacity. Addressing this is crucial for anchoring future floating wind farms. One major challenge for offshore wind development in Norway is the availability of ports and shipyard areas. Currently, Norway lacks the capacity to assemble all the wind turbines needed to meet its 30 GW goal. More port space and larger shipyards are required, which also means significant environmental impact. One solution we are exploring is building floating ports. In spring 2024, we conducted several model tests with floating ports consisting of multi-modular units. These floating units can quickly expand quay areas and establish deep-water facilities, with the flexibility to change quay configurations as needed. This solution also has the advantage of less environmental impact compared to land expansions. The model tests demonstrated the system’s potential and will be further analyzed in 2025.

BLUES is a new Centre for Research-Based Innovation which brings together key research, industry and public partners. The aim is to address the essential needs outlined below, enabling Norwegian ocean-based industries to provide floating solutions for present and future industrial and societal challenges. The world is facing several industrial and societal challenges, and the ocean provides great opportunities which can contribute to solving several of them. Due to the ongoing transition in the world's energy mix to meet the goals stated in the Paris agreement, the need for clean energy is now global. Changes in diets and an increase in the world's population also generate a need for safe and healthy food. Further, in a changing climate, requests for increased mobility, as well as shortage on area, introduce a need for resilient infrastructure in coastal waters for transportation as well as industrial and residential developments. Floating support structures have a huge potential for contributing to solving these challenges, but new applications of imply new needs and requirements to safety, sustainability, cost, function and operation. This leads to structures where we have limited experience. These structures will be diverse, but they have essential needs in common: - To understand their requirements to function, safety, cost, operation and sustainability, in order to develop optimized solutions. - To develop numerical and experimental high-quality validated design tools. - To base the design on reliable descriptions of the marine environment. - To understand the interaction between the environment (wind, waves, current) and structures. - To develop structures with sustainable, safe and cost-efficient materials. - To develop mooring systems and anchors to keep the floating structures in position. To unlock the potential of novel floating structures, we need to understand the requirements of the applications, the associated technology gaps and knowledge needs.

Publications from Cristin

Funding scheme:

SFI-Sentre for forskningsdrevet innovasjon

Thematic Areas and Topics

LTP3 Miljøvennlig energi og lavutslippsløsningerBransjer og næringerFiskeri og havbrukAvanserte produksjonsprosesserBruk av avansert produksjonsteknologi (ny fra 2015)LTP3 Hav og kystPortefølje Banebrytende forskningDigitalisering og bruk av IKTPrivat sektorPolitikk- og forvaltningsområderFiskeri og kystLTP3 Styrket konkurransekraft og innovasjonsevneDigitalisering og bruk av IKTInternasjonaliseringInternasjonalt prosjektsamarbeidBransjer og næringerMaritim - NæringsområdeMiljøvennlig energiFornybar energi, vind og havPortefølje ForskningssystemetLTP3 Nano-, bioteknologi og teknologikonvergensGrunnforskningBransjer og næringerTransport og samferdselPortefølje InnovasjonKlimarelevant forskningPortefølje Mat og bioressurserHavbrukLTP3 Klima, miljø og energiInternasjonaliseringLTP3 IKT og digital transformasjonBransjer og næringerMarinBransjer og næringerEnergi - NæringsområdeLTP3 Fagmiljøer og talenterLTP3 Havteknologi og maritim innovasjonMaritimMaritime muligheter i havnæringeneMiljøvennlig energiHavbrukHavbruks- og foredlingsteknologiTransport og mobilitetLTP3 Bærekraftige byregioner og transportsystemerPolitikk- og forvaltningsområderSamferdsel og kommunikasjonLTP3 Marine bioressurser og havforvaltningMaritimPortefølje Energi og transportLTP3 Muliggjørende og industrielle teknologierMarinHavbrukPortefølje Muliggjørende teknologierLTP3 Høy kvalitet og tilgjengelighetPolitikk- og forvaltningsområderEnergi - Politikk og forvaltningAnvendt forskningPolitikk- og forvaltningsområderNæring og handelPolitikk- og forvaltningsområderAvanserte produksjonsprosesserLTP3 Et kunnskapsintensivt næringsliv i hele landet