Projects

Hydrogen is the leading energy carrier of the future and can be used to store energy surpluses from offshore wind farms. The INTENSSE-H2 project investigates the possibility of producing hydrogen from seawater according to an innovative concept integrating water treatment and electrolysis.

Currently, the European aquaculture sector heavily relies on rope that cannot be recycled. BIOGEARS therefore aims to offer a sustainable alternative by developing biodegradable rope. Local composting facilities will be able to process this new type of rope.

The North Sea offers a great variety of biological resources containing bioactive substances. This project is aimed at the discovery and characterisation of new bioactive substances that can be used for various applications in aquaculture, biorefinery and biotechnology.

Seaweeds and microalgae will make a major contribution to the global food supply by 2050. In order to stimulate innovation in the sector, ValgOrize aims to create an open platform for the sustainable production of tasty and high-quality algae products.

The ELBE+ project focuses on wave and tidal energy, as well as floating offshore wind energy. Seven European clusters, including Blue Cluster, join forces to select growth markets in blue energy and bring out business opportunities.

The partners in the BOPTIC project aim to develop and implement optical monitoring technologies for offshore power cables and foundations through Distributed Fiber Optic Sensing. This will contribute to smart cables and foundations of offshore wind farms.

The North Sea has great potential as a sustainable energy source. The partners in the ENCORE project are investigating how we can tap into this energy source to further develop coastal areas, and are committed to the further development of innovative technologies.

The MPVAqua project looks into innovative marine floating photovoltaic (MFPV) technologies within offshore electricity production concepts in a harsh marine environment. The end result will be a generic concept that can be adapted to specific wave climates and environments.

BluERA aims to improve the understanding of how a number of different technologies for ocean energy react to the variability of the energy source. Moreover, the project will provide important data for risk assessments that will help promotors and investors select potential technologies.

In the first wind farm on Thornton bank, 30 km off the Belgian coast, C-Power (photo) installed, among other things, 6 wind turbines on gravity-based foundations (GBF). The project aims to develop an inspection & monitoring strategy for GBF structures in order to control maintenance costs and potentially extend the service life of these structures.

The PERSUADE project aims to investigate how a combination of local activities can influence the coastal ecosystem in an environment that is also subject to the consequences of global climate change. The main focus is on energy generation in offshore wind farms combined with aquaculture.

Soft coastal protection measures such as dune, beach or foreshore replenishments present specific challenges in terms of design and maintenance for governments, engineering firms, dredgers and the insurance industry.