European offshore renewable energy: Towards a sustainable future
Soukissian, T.; O'Hagan, A.M.; Azzellino, A.; Boero, F.; Brito e Melo, A.; Comiskey, P.; Gao, Z.; Howell, D.; Le Boulluec, M.; Maisondieu, C.; Scott, B.E.; Tedeschi, E.; Maheri, A.; Pennock, S.; Heymans, J.J.; Kellett, P.; Alexander, B.; Muñiz Piniella, A.; Rodriguez-Perez, A.; van Elslander, J. (2023). European offshore renewable energy: Towards a sustainable future. Marine Board Future Science Brief, 9. European Marine Board: Ostend. ISBN 9789464206173. 86 pp. https://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7561906
Part of: Marine Board Future Science Brief. European Marine Board: Ostend. ISSN 2593-5232, more
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| Authors | | Top |
- Soukissian, T.
- O'Hagan, A.M.
- Azzellino, A.
- Boero, F., more
- Brito e Melo, A.
- Comiskey, P.
- Gao, Z.
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- Howell, D.
- Le Boulluec, M.
- Maisondieu, C.
- Scott, B.E.
- Tedeschi, E.
- Maheri, A.
- Pennock, S.
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- Heymans, J.J., more
- Kellett, P., editor, more
- Alexander, B., editor, more
- Muñiz Piniella, A., editor, more
- Rodriguez-Perez, A., editor
- van Elslander, J., editor
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| Abstract |
Considering the Ocean environment as a potential source of energy is not new. Renewable energy research andtechnological development have been looking at the Ocean for some time. The first offshore wind farm in Europe was installed by Denmark in 1991 in the Baltic Sea and decommissioned in 20171.The 2010 EMB Vision Document 2 on Marine Renewable Energy (Le Boulluec et al., 2010) presented the research challenges and opportunities for a new energy era in Europe. It offered an overview of how renewable energy from the Ocean can provide innovative solutions to tackle future energy challenges and to fully contribute to the EU 2020 vision2. It provided a baseline of information representing progress in marine renewable energy development at that time.The signing of the Paris Agreement3 in 2015 brought significant public and political attention to the wider issues of climate change, and solutions such as offshore renewable energy that could support the achievement of the Paris Agreement.In 2019 the European Green Deal4 outlined Europe’s vision to become the first climate-neutral continent with no net emissions of greenhouse gases by 2050. There is also an interim aim to “reduce net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels”. The related 2020 ‘EU Strategy to harness the potential of offshore renewable energy for a climate neutral future’ presented the key role for offshore renewable energy in achieving this vision. The global economic and geopolitical situations in 2022, including the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing fuel prices, and the war in Ukraine leading to questions of energy security, have further increased the impetus on governments to accelerate the move away from a reliance on oil and gas as energy sources. Offshore renewable energy sources should play a key role in that move.In light of these geo-political, economic, and environmental drivers, this Future Science Brief outlines the state-of-the-art in knowledge on offshore renewable energy (ORE). It also highlights key research needs to help us fully understand the implications of such an energy transition.The main recommendations are to:• Address misalignment in policy, and the approaches and practices used in different EU Member States that hinder efficient and sustainable ORE development and deployment;• Support measures to increase the availability of open and high-resolution data, to understand OREresource availability, environmental impact, and the impact of climate change;• Further develop the research capability to holistically investigate the ecological and socioeconomicbenefits and impacts of ORE;• Conduct further research into the technical, environmental and socioeconomic aspects of ORE devices and their full lifetime from design to operation through to decommissioning, to improve sustainability and viability;• Ensure that offers for training and skills development match industry requirements. |
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