The central aim of the project is to develop an industrialized process for decommissioning of offshore wind farms. This shall be done by integrating new technologies and optimizing the use of infrastructure through transnational pilots.

As a result, an eco-innovative concept will be presented showing how the decommissioning process can be organized in an (environmentally) safe and cost-effective way.

Decommissioning is the last phase in a project’s lifecycle, it can be considered as the opposite of the installation phase, where the principle “the polluter pays” applies. Eco-innovative concepts for decommissioning can ensure that sites are left in a similar condition as they were before the implementation of the project. 

There are numerous features that make the decommissioning process a challenge and create a lot of uncertainty, such as its impact on the marine environment, insufficient logistical concepts off and on shore, technical limitations of vessels, the different characteristics of the sites and the lack of specific regulations.

It is essential that targeted practice-oriented R&D in this field is made on a transnational level. Especially, as decommissioning has to be planned from the beginning of the lifecycle on to prevent complications later on, business and science partners as well as public authorities in the NSR need to join forces.

The following aspects of decommissioning shall be looked at:

• Legal and economic framework

Within different countries, the legal norms and legislation differ enormously. In this project, the legal standards in the North Sea Region are of specific concern. To cover a larger market, all Northern European countries shall be looked at.

• Impact on regional development and environment

The decommissioning of offshore plants will have an impact on the regional infrastructure and the environment. It has to be clarified which strengths and weaknesses exist in North Sea ports and which opportunities and threats, particularly in structurally weak regions, can emerge from the decommissioning as well as from an interregional division of work among ports / regions. Additionally, the environmental impact has to be assessed.

• Requirement profile for new working tools /operations

An overview of recent processes and approaches for dismantling offshore structures will be obtained including experiences from oil and gas industry. Existing approaches have to be optimized through new tools and processes e.g. in the fields of:

• Logistical concepts
• Recycling / disposal of components
• Vessel design
• Infrastructural needs onshore, e.g. for disassembly in ports
  

1) Logistical concepts

A model of wind energy plants will be generated to test logistical concepts. The system is projected to a typical wind park so that the logistical requirements for decommissioning can be calculated. Also, processes in ports and hinterland shall be looked at.

2) Environmental & safety analysis tool

Every process that is needed for the decommissioning will be reviewed concerning its environmental impacts and safety aspects.

3) Recycling concept for particular components

A concept for the processing of the materials will be developed, e.g. to found out if materials should be disassembled on ship or in a port.

4) A new vessel type will be developed according to the requirements.

5) Exploitation plan for the new tools: containing information on the commercialization of results, technical expectations, scientific and economic continuation, compatibility with standards.

In the years to come, the offshore energy generating wind industry will invest billions of Euros in northern European offshore wind farms. It is foreseeable that all offshore structures will have to be decommissioned after a certain time of usage, therefore dismantling offshore structures will be of growing importance marking the end of the structures’ life cycle. Fourteen already existing offshore wind farms will need to be dismantled Europe-wide between 2019 and 2028, most of them in the North Sea Region. Until 2038, that number will increase up to 50 (Topham, 2017).

However, the offshore wind industry has up to now concentrated mainly on setting up new projects, with decommissioning receiving only little attention. In order to minimize negative impacts on the environment and to create planning security for the industry, the topic has to be addressed in short term. For example in Germany, by now new offshore wind farms are already being built without government subsidies, more and more NSR countries are facing the same development. This marks an important milestone for the competitiveness of the offshore wind energy sector. In order to get prepared for this phase, it is crucial to develop cost-effective industrialized solutions for the end of the offshore wind farms' lifecycle now.

Science partners from Germany (University of Applied Sciences Emden-Leer / HWWI)

• Business / Industry Partners (from all over the NSR)
• Cluster organisations in the field of offshore wind (particularly from BE, DK, NL, UK)
• Lead Partner