SeeOff

Strategy development for the efficient decommissioning of offshore wind farms (SeeOff)

Background

In mid-2018, more than 1,100 offshore wind turbines with an installed capacity of more than 5.3 GW were in operation in the German North Sea and Baltic Sea. According to the current plans of the German government, the expansion is to be increased to 6.5 GW by 2020 and to 15 GW by 2030. In the German North Sea and Baltic Sea, the first offshore wind farms will have to be dismantled in the next 10-15 years. Decommissioning strategies require a holistic approach to dismantling, logistics and disposal. At present, neither the requirements, techniques or procedures associated with dismantling nor the resulting costs and effects on people and the environment are sufficiently known. Decommissioning is part of the life cycle of energy technologies. In order to be able to use and expand offshore wind energy in Germany in the long term and thereby further strengthen Germany as a business location, cost- and environmentally-efficient deconstruction strategies must be developed at an early stage and findings transferred to the planning, construction and operation of future OWPs.

Project objectives and priorities

The aim of the research project is to enable the companies involved in decommissioning to identify efficient decommissioning strategies. Decommissioning strategies are efficient if they are cost-effective, comply with all legal requirements, accompanied by a high level of occupational safety and acceptance, and ensure environmental protection. Within the framework of the project, a decommissioning manual is to be developed in cooperation with the project partners and in coordination with other representatives of the industry. This should enable the industry sector to develop their own decommissioning strategies and evaluate their efficiency. The German OFFSHORE WINDENERGY Foundation is a project partner and will deal in particular with legal and environmental issues.

Project partner

The project coordinator is the Bremen University of Applied Sciences. The partners also include Deutsche Windtechnik Repowering GmbH & Co. KG, Nehlsen GmbH & Co. KG and the German OFFSHORE WINDENERGY Foundation. To complement the expertise and evaluation of the project results, there is a close exchange with the associated partners Vattenfall Europe Windkraft GmbH, TenneT Offshore GmbH and EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg AG.

Project period and funding

The project has a duration of 3 years (November 2018 - October 2021) and is funded by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy (BMWi).

Contact persons:

Dr. Matthias Wehkamp (m.wehkamp@offshore-stiftung.de)

Philipp Tremer (p.tremer@offshore-stiftung.de)

 

Strategy development for the efficient decommissioning of offshore wind farms (SeeOff)

Supported by the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action on the basis of a decision by the German Bundestag