DENMARK

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

Overview of the main research activities in 2018:

OES Task 10 Modelling, Verification and Validation of Wave Energy Converters (WECs)
The Danish Funding Agency EUDP has funded the proposal submitted by Ramboll in 2017 in collaboration with Aalborg University, DTU and Floating Power Plant to work and help co-ordinate the international collaboration on OES Task 10 with focus on Modelling, Verification and Validation of Wave Energy Converters (WECs). OES Task 10, which involves experts from 13 countries, was agreed to during the 31st EXCO in 2016 with the objective to improve the confidence in the numerical tools used in design and prediction of power production from Wave Energy Converters. 

Wave Energy Research Group at Aalborg University
Mooring Solutions for Large Wave Energy Converters (MSLWEC) 2016 – 2018 has been co-ordinated by Aalborg University, investigating different mooring solutions suited for large WECs being investigated in Denmark, such as Floating Power Plant, WaveDragon, Leancon and KNSwing. The use of synthetic mooring lines showed to be more cost effective compared to conventional catenary mooring lines. The project has resulted in several publications, such as “Cost Optimization of Mooring Solutions for Large Floating Wave Energy Converters” Energies 2018, 11. Floating Power Plant was tested in model scale as part of the project.   

Marinet 2
The new test facility at Aalborg University is part of the Marinet 2 infrastructures, and some Danish developers have received funding from the programme to carry out model tests. 

MARINERG-i
The objective of MARINERG-i is to become the leading internationally distributed infrastructure in the Marine Renewable Energy (MRE) sector. Its integrated nature and co-ordinated approach will accelerate the research development and deployment of offshore wind, wave, tidal and combined energy technologies and help maintain Europe as a global leader in this industry. In addition, MARINERG-i will strengthen European, scientific and engineering excellence and expertise as its’ combined facilities represent an indispensable tool to foster innovation across a large variety of MRE technologies and systems and through all key stages of technology development (TRLs 1-9).

DTOcean+
Aalborg University, Denmark, is one of the 17 EU partners in the DTOcean + project lead by Fundacion Tecnalia Research & Innovation, a 3‐year project (May 2018 ‐April 2021) with a total budget of €8 million, with the objective to support the entire technology innovation process, from concept to deployment of sub‐systems, energy capture devices and arrays. https://www.dtoceanplus.eu

WECACNet (COST action)
Denmark is represented in the European project WECANet (www.wecanet.eu), a pan-European network with an interdisciplinary marine wave energy approach aiming to provide a strong networking platform for all stakeholders in wave energy. This project is funded by the European Cooperation in Science and Technology action (known as ‘COST’ action).

ICONN (MC EID)
ICONN is a unique European Industrial Doctorate initiative to meet the current and future demand for highly skilled offshore wind and wave energy engineers by developing and advancing European capacity in the design, development and performance optimisation for Offshore Wind and Wave Energy installations. The initiative is strongly shaped by active participation from industries and will develop and enhance European capacity in the offshore renewable energy area at a critical juncture in time when Europe strives to occupy a lead market position globally in this sector. Project partners are Aalborg University, Trinity College and Floating Power Plant.

Europe Leading Blue Energy (ELBE)
Offshoreenergy.dk (now called Energy Innovation Cluster) is partner in the ELBE (Europe Leading Blue Energy) project co-ordinated by the Basque Energy Cluster, including Aberdeen Renewable Energy Group, Flanders’ Maritime Cluster, Offshoreväst (Sweden), acknowledging the importance of marine energy technological development and wave, tidal and floating wind power represented by these European clusters. This project is part of the European Union DG GROWTH "Cluster Go International" programme. The purpose of ELBE is to forge a formal alliance between participating bodies and define a joint internationalisation strategy for SMEs to be launched in the second phase and the organisation of several networking events among the companies of the different regions at the end of 2018 and the start of 2019. 

More information at: https://www.clustercollaboration.eu/cluster-mapping and http://www.eicluster.dk/
 

New Material for Wave Energy Substructures
The project is supported by EUDP from 2016 to 2019 and lead by Aalborg University. During its execution, the project will determine whether it is possible to use the material resulting from sea water electrolysis for step-change improvements to the state of the art of available materials and construction practices in the wave energy and offshore sector. A first test of the new concept was carried out at DanWEC in Hanstholm and a second test started in Nissum in November 2018. 
https://www.civil.aau.dk/Project+websites/newmatrialwes/?page=1