The Selkie project has launched a tender for a software company to develop an operations and maintenance cost calculation tool.
The aim is to assist tidal energy converter and wave energy converter device developers.
Specifically, the tool will model the O&M activities associated with offshore farms consisting of arrays of these devices through inputs of relevant information.
The tool should help lower the operational costs by reducing the risk in failures of underlying components.
It should also increase the time the device is available for energy conversion.
The results output from the model will provide valuable insight for the optimisation of these O&M activities by device developers.
The demonstrable lowering of levelised cost of energy through increased reliability and availability of energy converters alongside streamlined O&M can help nurture increased investor confidence in both the wave and tidal offshore renewable energy sectors.
The deadline for applications is 19 May 2020.
University College Cork is leading the Selkie project .
Project partners are also Marine Energy Wales, Menter Môn, Swansea University, DP Energy Ireland and Gavin and Doherty Geosolutions.
The project is funded by the European Union’s European Regional Development Fund through the Ireland Wales Cooperation programme.
A €4.2-million cross-border project aims to boost the marine energy industry in Wales and Ireland.