European test centres for offshore wind unite to accelerate offshore wind deployment

BiMEP, CEO, Foundation Open-C, METCEntre and Plocan have created HiPoTeSis.  This unique and collaborative network of five operational offshore demonstration test sites aims to provide the European Union with the future high-power infrastructure for testing new floating wind projects. The alliance will meet the common challenges of the sector. The most important being permitting. 

In a seminar hosted by World Forum for Offshore Wind at WindEnergy Hamburg the test sites presented their action points: Implementing fast track permitting system for demo projects, inclusions of two annual demo projects in relevant EU calls, create new European support scheme for co-investments in infrastructure and initiate better incentives for data sharing.

-Testing and demonstration projects are absolutely necessary to bring costs down in floating offshore wind, says Arvid Nesse, CEO of METCentre in Norway. 

-With a target of 10 GW by 2030, it is crucial to standardize and industrialize floating technologies between 2024 and 2030. To remain a leader, the EU must develop this infrastructure and act now to stimulate innovation, says Bertrand Alessandrini, General manager of the OPEN-C Foundation.

In Europe, test sites are subject to the same permitting procedures as commercial parks, which take years to complete. 

-Our experience is that the permitting process could be more straightforward, considering these permits are intended for a limited number of turbines , for a limited length of time and already located in testing areas, compared to commercial wind farms, says Carlos Pinho, President of the Board of Directors at CEO.

Establishing grid infrastructure at the test sites to prepare for the next generation of floating offshore wind turbines requires substantial capital investments. Substations and export cables to shore are examples of infrastructure that need to be in place.