“Green Transitions in Port of Aalborg” is a collaboration between the Port of Aalborg and Aalborg University Business School. Both organizations share from different angles—practice and research—the interest in green transitions; that is, how business operations and strategies can be designed such that they ensure an ecologically sustainable economy. As business operations vary widely, this strategic initiative comprises three main foci, looking at business operations within the port, at how the port interacts with its external environment, and at the port as one player in the broader regional environment (i.e., Greater Aalborg), always through the lens of identifying and solving problems in relation to green transitions.

DIIS Maritime is a research network, which examines how geopolitical tensions and hybrid threats at sea affect the operational conditions for international shipping and the maritime sector.

The project aims to facilitate the transition from fossil fuels to greener energy sources in Danish ferry shipping. The new and rebuilt ferries have, among other things, increased automation and innovative changes, which change the roles of crew members and require different skills.
A tailored method for job requirement analysis will be developed, with the Molslinjen as
a test platform, to identify competence gaps and optimize the distribution of tasks between people and technology.
The goal is to strengthen the ability of crews to handle the increased complexity of modern shipping and promote efficiency in the industry.

An CETPartnership project with the aim to enhance shared mooring system design for floating offshore wind farms.

While the oceans are attracting growing attention, people at sea still receive little consideration by stakeholders, scholars and the public at large. The frequent violations of their most basic human rights, which safeguard their life, liberty and health, often go unseen and unpunished. This happens all over the world, including in European seas. Thus, death, slavery, unlawful arrest and other human rights violations result in practical negation of the universality of human rights – the idea that all persons are equally entitled to human rights – advocated by the European Union and the United Nations. The Action aims to assess, from a legal perspective, how human rights can be enjoyed also by people at sea and by all people at sea. It will answer two fundamental questions: What is the content and scope of the rights to life, liberty and health when applied at sea and who is responsible for protecting them and how? The Action will create an international, multidisciplinary, cross-sectoral and cross-institutional network, which will engage in depth with the conceptual and practical issues that arise from the need to protect these human rights of people at sea. Using the most appropriate means, including conferences, open and closed workshops, Training Schools and Short-Term Scientific Missions, the Action will bring together scholars and stakeholders working in this area, raising awareness about people at sea and their most basic rights, elaborating the theoretical framework within which to locate legislative efforts, and producing ready-to-use tools for governments, industry and civil society.

The project originates from viewing the Port of Aalborg (PoA) as an infrastructure hub. This perspective is inspired by dialogues with the PoA and existing literature that discusses ports as complex organizations influenced by economic, cultural, political, local community, geographical, administrative, and technological factors.

This view aligns with the aggregated level of the project, where our ambition is to understand what does it mean to be a sustainable infrastructure hub and focus on the PoA not merely as an individual entity but as an ecosystem consisting of multiple internal and external actors and systemic linkages between them. The purpose of the project is to uncover:
– What does being a sustainable infrastructure hub entail, and what are its most relevant sustainability performance assessment indicators?
– How can the PoA, as an infrastructure hub, improve its sustainability performance across the identified sustainability performance indicators?

The logic behind these two questions is predicated on the notion that if green transition performance cannot be measured, it becomes impossible to discuss the strategies and practices that make the complex hub constellation of the PoA greener and more sustainable.

Project Flow
Phase 1 (Q4 2024 – Q1 2025): State of the Art, Literature Insights and their Validation
Terminological and definitional clarity as well as an analytical framework for the key parameters and constructs of the project
Phase 2 (Q2 2025 – Q4 2025): Empirical insights into the PoA and other port infrastructures in Denmark and internationally
Cases of the PoA, as well as other ports’ ecosystems, will be developed with the objective to benchmark them against established regulation/guideline systems
Phase 3 (Q1 2026 – Q2 2026): Co-developing recommendations and advice for the PoA based on the best practices distilled from other ports’ cases and theoretical lenses.

Deep Seabed Mining (DSM) is the search for, and exploitation of, minerals and metals necessary to construct clean energy technologies. However, there are outstanding gaps and uncertainties as to the possible environmental impacts, and how to legally carry-out these activities, is not yet determined. This book will have state-of-the art learnings on how to conduct DSM in a just and sustainable way.

The EU Mission ‘Restore our Ocean and Waters’ (Mission Ocean) aims at protecting and restoring the health of our ocean and waters through research and innovation, citizen engagement, and blue investments by 2030. The creation of the European Digital Twin Ocean (EU DTO) supports this mission as well as the key initiative of the European Commission, Destination Earth (DestinE), aiming at developing a highly accurate digital model of the Earth on a global scale to be able to monitor, simulate, and predict the interaction between natural phenomena and human activities. Addressing the Horizon Europe call HORIZON-MISS-2023-OCEAN-01-8, SEADITO focuses on the need for a targeted set of analytical methods and tools to support the development of the EU DTO including integrating social-ecological models in order to establish a comprehensive decision support platform. SEADITO aims at increasing transdisciplinary abilities of social-ecological models by updating and integrating them for improved Ecosystem-based Management, and a set of case studies in the Baltic Sea, the North Sea and the Mediterranean as well a Pan-European case study will provide the contexts for the multiactor processes identifying user needs, as well as co designing and testing components and services in the targeted user communities. The results will include sets of interoperable, spatial explicit, and DTO compliant social-ecological decision-support components based on FAIR principles (e.g. to be integrated with EDITO-Model Lab), as well as scalable and multi-level social-ecological models, integrated quantitative and qualitative social-ecological indicators, and workflows quantifying and integrating cultural and behavioural aspects. The components will be tested through an interactive spatial platform, the SEADITO Explorer equipped with visual demonstrators of socialecological models and a Scenario Toolkit (WIST). Learning materials will target young researchers, decision-makers, and the public.

The project focuses on the growing challenge of underwater radiated noise (URN) and its negative impact on the marine environment, especially marine life.

Through five technological projects, SLGreen aims to develop digital tools to reduce fuel consumption in Danish shipping, improve ship performance, optimize hull maintenance, monitor engine condition and implement remote navigation.
The transversal anthropological project, Senses & Sensors, will add an analysis of human competencies and explore dynamics in the execution of the projects.
SLGreen is supported by the Innovation Fund Denmark, the Danish Maritime Foundation and the Lauritzen Foundation.

The goal of LSP Ship Factory together with Danish shipyards and companies is to automate ship production using robots and AI.

We introduce a novel cell-based concept for automated shipyard operations, in which processes are executed in a central multi-purpose/multi-robot workspace. This cell-based concept optimizes the commissioning and continued development and extension of sophisticated automation equipment “out of the box” and enables shipyards to lift their highly manual operations today to flexible, digital, and robotized operations, monitored and controlled product quality and attractive workplaces for existing staff and young professionals alike.

We utilize the unique equipment of the newly established SDU Center for Large Structure Production (LSP), while supporting the shipyards and designers in implementing relevant aspects of the overall concept in their own operations with their own staff.

LSP Ship Factory thus enables shipyards to counter the pressure of a fierce global competition and a lack of workforce with innovative and manageable technologies for robotized production operations around the lifecycle of ships.

Outcomes of our joint developments prepare and support the Danish maritime sector with tangible solutions to reactivate and reshore the necessary competencies and capacities to engage in civil and naval initiatives for building and maintaining vessels in DK.

Funded by Grand Solutions.

This research project aims to develop a transdisciplinary approach to Deep Seabed Mining (DSM) – the exploration, and exploitation of minerals found on the ocean floor. This topic is highly relevant as those metals are necessary to build clean energy technologies enabling the transition from fossil fuels, and thus mitigate climate change. However, there are outstanding gaps and uncertainties as to the possible environmental impacts, and how to legally and politically carry out these activities in a just and sustainable way. This research arrives at a unique historical juncture, as exploitation activities will not commence before 2025, even though 31 exploration licenses are currently being considered worldwide. The Arctic region, with the case of Norway and Greenland, is the latest frontier of prospecting for deep seabed mining. The Arctic represents particularly sensitive and vulnerable ecosystems and, indirectly, coastal communities and Indigenous Peoples may be affected by these DSM projects. This project explores possible criteria for justice, equity and fairness that could apply in an effective regulation of DSM with Norway and Greenland as case study. It does so by integrating law, planning, and anthropology to build a transdisciplinary approach that allows the inclusion of DSM into the global energy transition challenge.

The project is expected primarily to contribute new knowledge regarding current problems and potential solutions in maritime alarm handling practices, and thereby to drive the maritime industry closer to establishing widely recognized technical common ground and standards for this.

When it comes to climate change, it will become more frequent and stronger every year. Cities and rural areas on both sides of the border need to adapt to both more rain and rising sea levels on our coasts, but also to the fact that rain may not occur for longer periods, resulting in a high drought index.

ClimatePol’s focus is to make us more aware of existing structures and create alliances and cooperation across the border, so that we engage both cities, regions and all other actors who can contribute to climate adaptation measures at all levels and across the border.

The project is funded by Interreg Deutschland-Denmark and the European Union and runs from 2024-2027.

The MAR-DEI center is a maritime knowledge center that contributes to initiatives and knowledge dissemination across the Danish maritime industry, with the goal of reducing harassment, sexual assault and sexual harassment (SASH), curbing bullying in the workplace and promoting Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI).

The Mar-DEI center is established to address the needs outlined by the Center for Maritime Health and Society (CMSS)/University of Southern Denmark (SDU) research report by Froholdt et al. (2023). The MAR-DEI Center provides independent (independent from authorities & companies) knowledge and support to seafarers sailing on Danish flagged vessels, interested companies, and stakeholders in the industry, relating to DEI, bullying, and SASH. It is an initiative that seeks to integrate safety and health in order to battle issues such as bullying, harassment and SASH, in line with calls for action by the International Labor Organization (22.01.2024).
It can be seen as a supplement to the newly announced initiatives (and CMSS English translation) that have been created by the industry partners in connection with the CMSS/SDU research report by Froholdt et al. (2023).

MAR-DEI is a collaboration between CMSS/SDU and SIMAC. It will run for three years and after 2.5 years, the initiative will be evaluated to ascertain impact, relevance, and sustainability, 01.03.2024-28.02.2027. It will be launched on March 1st and officially announced at the European Maritime Day that will be held in Svendborg 30 and 31 May 2024.

The Center has a three-fold approach; 1) Serving as an independent knowledge and data hub, 2) Providing a range of supporting roles, and 3) Ensuring capacity building.

The MAR-DEI Center will contribute to creating a transparent, supportive, and uniform approach to addressing bullying, harassment and SASH within the Danish fleet, ultimately fostering a safer and healthier work environment that promotes DEI. This proactive approach not only addresses existing challenges but also empowers individuals with the knowledge and support needed to create a healthier and more respectful work environment where seafarers on Danish ships may thrive.

Measuring waves in the ocean helps enhance safety, inform coastal management decisions, refine weather forecasts, advance scientific understanding, and support the development of sustainable ocean-based industries for a greener future.

The Doctoral Network (DN) “RESCUER“ (Resilient Solutions for Coastal, Urban, Estuarine and Riverine Environments) will focus on the training of young researchers (Fellows) in the general area of coastal oceanography, hydraulic and coastal engineering, applied mathematics, and scientific computation. The network will leverage advances in the numerical treatment of hydrodynamic equations in the past decade to create multi-physics models able to address pressing needs in practical modeling of various phenomena in the coastal zone with the goal of improving overall safety of coastal areas.

Ensuring the safety of property and commercial developments onshore and offshore requires an integrated approach, including phase-resolving wave modeling, tracking and mitigation of morphological changes, potential flooding in urban areas and monitoring of water quality. While protective structures and emergency plans for catastrophic storm waves and storm surges are well established, the confluence of global warming and sea level rise with other known natural risk factors and increasing human activity create a new set of hazards and requires new thinking in coastal modeling and the planning of mitigation strategies.

To address the challenges outlined above, we will rely on numerical techniques which are in each case tested against existing models and validated with experiments and field measurements. In our work with consulting companies and government agencies, we have identified a trend towards coupled models instead of traditionally used stand-alone models and a need for operational capabilities. These needs will be answered using new multi-physics models, state-of-the-art numerical methods, image recognition algorithms and innovative programming techniques such as GPU programming. The synergistic interplay of physical modelling, numerical analysis and large-scale simulation with lab experiments and field work plays an essential role in this network. Our project goes beyond the state of the art by improving existing numerical models, employing GPU programming and super-resolution techniques and building a unified suite of solvers that will allow us to address the multi-physics problems in coastal, estuarine, riverine and urban areas.

Ferries are responsible for 0.8 million tons of greenhouse gas emission annually in Denmark and often sail close to cities where they add to the already critical air pollution levels. This holds especially true for small Danish municipalities, as diesel-driven ferries contribute up to 20 % to their total global warming contribution. Therefore, fully electric powered ferries are taking centre stage in Denmark. However, the current wide use of synthetic refrigerants (and their leaks into the atmosphere) in the maritime sector leads even 100 % electricity-powered ships not to be actually greenhouse gas emission free. In addition, currently the driving range of fully electric powered ferries is penalized due to the lack of an optimized heat pump system layout, suitable battery thermal management strategy and appropriate waste heat recovery approaches.

The objective of the ECO2-ferries project is to develop the first heat pump being completely tailored to 100 % electricity-powered ferries. The use of CO2 as a natural (i.e. future-proof) refrigerant of the heat pump will finally lead 100 % electricity-powered ferries to be actually greenhouse gas emission free ships. In addition, CO2 will allow for a compact heat pump and high safety levels (i.e. non-flammable and non-toxic). High energy performance will be guaranteed by the implementation of (i) an optimized system layout, (ii) a proper battery thermal management approach, (iii) a suitable heat recovery technique as well as (iv) an effective and robust overall control strategy.

The ECO2-ferries project will involve the University of Southern Denmark, Odense Maritime Technology and Marstal Navigationsskole as project partners and Danske Maritime, Danfoss A/S, BCOOL A/S, Danish Technological Institute, Ærø municipality and Ærøfærgerne as project supporters. The project has received funding from Den Danske Maritime Fond.

The objective of the ECO2-ferries project is to develop the first heat pump being completely tailored to 100 % electricity-powered ferries.

The project follows the ACOMAR project, where the main focus for AAU is to make the control and algorithm part of ACOMAR ready for TRL8. Based on offshore tests in ACOMAR, it is expected that several algorithms and their implementation will need to be adjusted to achieve TRL8. It is expected that more tests of the navigation, control and error handling algorithms will need to be carried out at local onshore test facilities, with the aim of adapting and maturing the final product.
In conjunction with these tests, it is expected that documentation of the algorithms will be made for possible transfer. The documentation is intended to promote user-friendliness, so that the algorithms can be operated by the operators.

In continuation of the previous project “Virtual photorealistic underwater environments for data augmentation in training machine learning methods for classification and navigation with UUVs”, it will be beneficial to include a sonar sensor in the selected UUV scenario and simulate it, as visual data can be limited by blurring at high turbidity, e.g. in port environments, at higher distances to the inspection object, or under poor lighting. The choice of sonar system must take into account specific needs and conditions in the selected underwater environment. This will allow for the collection and merging of acoustic data alongside the optical, which can contribute to a more comprehensive and versatile representation of the underwater environment. From a defense perspective, it is particularly interesting to achieve robust detection of objects in an extended working area. This can be, for example, in conditions where objects are hidden by marine fouling, lightly buried or by other masking that can be penetrated by acoustic signals.

In addition to the previous optical simulations, a sonar simulation model must therefore be developed and used. This involves a complex understanding of acoustic signal processing, as well as the unique properties of sound propagation under water, which is why it is intended to use an existing ultrasound simulator (Field-ii, developed by DTU) for the simulation itself. This step will drastically improve the possibility of a holistic simulation of the underwater environment in which the UUVs will operate.

The inclusion of sonar data provides the opportunity to train more robust and versatile machine learning models. Sonar data can be used to strengthen the models’ ability for object detection and classification, especially (as mentioned) in scenarios where optical data is insufficient or unreliable, such as under high turbidity. Furthermore, the integration of different sensor data types could result in the development of a multisensor data fusion algorithm, which can improve the precision and reliability of the trained models.

Including sonar data will undoubtedly lead to technical challenges, such as the need to synchronize data from different sensors and the challenges of developing a realistic sonar simulation model. A further technical challenge will be ensuring that the machine learning algorithms can effectively merge the optical and sonar-based data to produce reliable results.

Blue Mathematics at AAU is a new teaching and research initiative supported by Orient’s Fond. The current funding is for a six-year period (2024-2029). The leadership of the project is ensured by Professor Morten Willatzen and Professor Horia Cornean. There are also two Orient’s Fond Chair Associate Professors: Fynn Aschmoneit and Matteo Bonini.

At this stage, our main efforts are directed towards building the foundation for new activities. The topics will mainly deal with real life problems coming from Engineering Mathematics in a broad sense, involving areas such as Fluid Dynamics, Optimization, Spatial Statistics, Cryptography, Coding Theory and Secure Communication, all applied to the maritime sector. More details to follow.

The shipping industry’s plans to replace fossil fuels with green fuels have several well-described climate and environmental benefits, but far less well-studied are the possible environmental risks linked to a large-scale use of green fuels in ships. Sufficient knowledge of the physical and chemical properties, toxicity to the environment, as well as dispersion and degradation dynamics of the green fuels in the environment are therefore fundamental prerequisites for the shipping industry to implement the green transition with minimal risk of simply replacing one problem with another.

In this project, we will carry out the first in-depth mapping and environmental risk assessment of potential derived environmental effects that may arise from both emissions to the atmosphere and discharges to the marine environment from these green marine fuels. The project includes, among other things, a thorough review of the properties of the green fuels in both air and water, experimental studies on the impact on aquatic organisms, natural degradation mechanisms, the spread in both the atmosphere and marine environment during normal operation and in the event of accidents/spills, as well as life cycle assessment (LCA).

The shipping industry is responsible for around 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and this is expected to increase as global trade and shipping activity continues to grow. As such, reducing emissions from shipping is an important part of global efforts to tackle climate change.

MISSION targets GHG emissions reductions in the maritime transportation chain, specifically optimizing the port call process. Within the project, integrated port call system solutions are build to increase transparency and communication about resource readiness and estimated arrival times to finally orchestrate the overall port call process. The project contains demonstration cases that will highlight the gains from the system solutions.

In this project, we will conduct the first in-depth mapping and environmental risk assessment of potential secondary environmental effects that may arise from both emissions to the atmosphere and discharges to the marine environment from these CO2 neutral marine fuels. The project includes a thorough review of the properties of CO2 neutral fuels in both air and water, experimental studies of the impact on aquatic organisms, natural degradation mechanisms, their dispersion in both the atmosphere and the marine environment during normal operation and accidents/spillages, and life cycle assessment (LCA).

The project investigates how Chat GPT can be utilised in ship chartering. The project is divided into two work packages: WP1 qualitatively investigates the potentials and barriers to using chat GPT in specific chartering activities across the different segments. WP2 contains a quantitative analysis of how the use of chatGPT affects rates, commissions and transaction patterns over time.

The primary goal of the project is to develop and make available data from Dansk Søfartstidende. The project has a particular focus on ship dispatches published in Dansk Søfartstidende in the years 1893-1962, and involves scanning, automated analysis and interpretation of data regarding Danish ships on arrivals and departures as well as other incidents for which notes are available. In addition to making the resulting data available so that they can be integrated into standard tools for representing digitized data, the plan is to develop a dedicated application that supports searches aimed at special studies based on, for example, time, place and context.

The project’s results in the form of a database and dedicated search application primarily provide new opportunities for research, among other things, by virtue of the fact that individual ships or a shipping company’s entire fleet can be followed and analyzed in time and space. Furthermore, new uses of maps and data visualizations in the dissemination of Danish maritime history are enabled. Finally, the project will make the complete publications of the Danish Maritime Journal available to the general public in a clear and easily accessible form through the M/S Maritime Museum.

The project focuses on supporting the Danish strategy on decarbonization by means of accelerating the implementation and scaling of green Power-to-X (PtX) technologies in Denmark. A pivotal part in such acceleration is to build well- functioning and safe infrastructures of storage, handling, and bunkering in Danish ports, as these play a key part as future green energy hubs. The project apply techno -anthropological theories and methodologies to explore and unpack possible safety concerns and ethical controversies within social acceptance among stakeholders across the PtX value chain in two Danish ports: Rønne and Aarhus. Based on this, the project develops a handbook with guidelines and tools on how to establish social agreements on safety in PtX projects. Thus, the project taps into topics in the themed area of green research and technology development, i.e. developing new energy systems while also understanding societal consequences of these, and drafting tools.
supporting this shift.

To further develop existing theoretical understanding on the concept of sustainable biomass with GHG neutrality when applied with a holistic integration across sectors

To coordinate the use of novel solutions to negative emissions (carbon storage solutions) across different sectors based on carbon captured in biomass, from point source emissions, and directly from the atmosphere

To develop crosscutting society system analysis methodologies, tools, and models allowing for an overarching holistic co-optimization of the carbon balance across all sectors of agriculture, forestry, energy, transport, industry, buildings, waste management, and materials

To use these models on the assessment and development of a sustainable co-optimized carbon management strategy for green fuels in the green transition of Denmark

To create an understanding of sustainable biomass availability and of the holistic carbon balance of a net zero society on the global scale to reveal the techno-economic feasibility of solutions, models and system designs and their scalability and applicability as models for a global climate solution.

The COST Action “Rethinking the Blue Economy: Socio-ecological impacts and opportunities” (RethinkBlue) centres around the Blue Economy and related policies affecting European societies. After the term was introduced at the UN Rio+20 conference, the paradigm was adopted by various actors across Europe and beyond. In the EU, the Blue Economy paradigm involves regional and national political-economic priorities, new legislative and governance frameworks, and EU and national financial support for sectors of the marine economy. However, the impact of these policies on coastal populations are not yet well-understood. Accelerating globalisation, technological developments and the impact of climate change pose additional challenges.

The purpose of this Action is to rethink the Blue Economy, in two ways. First, by assessing its impact on coastal societies, and second, by exploring opportunities deriving from innovations and potential synergies between established and emergent marine activities. The guiding research questions are:

1. What are the impacts, positive or negative, of Blue Economy developments on human well-being, social equity and the economic and environmental sustainability of coastal societies?
2. What are potential opportunities for innovations and synergies between sectors?

Scientific interactions focus on five themes: (1) maritime occupations, (2) food security & sustainable blue consumption, (3) port cities & coastal communities, (4) fisheries governance & emergent activities, (5) climate change & natural hazards. Knowledge exchange and capacity building among researchers and stakeholders of the Blue Economy will be facilitated through meetings, research workshops, an online seminar series, training schools, and conferences.

Action keywords: Blue Economy – Maritime governance and policy – Socio-economic transformations – Social, economic and environmental sustainability – Coastal societies

Automation plays a key role in reducing CO2 emissions in shipping, yet human sensory contributions are often overlooked and understudied. The project studies how human senses and sensor technologies interact in decision-making from an anthropological perspective.

The project is based on the shipping company Hafnia’s initiative with 50/50 gender distribution on four ships. The purpose of the project is to investigate how such a gender balance affects operational health and safety, efficiency, working environment, leadership and teamwork on board. It also examines how to organise ship crews with 50% women in a sustainable way.

The purpose of NextGen Robotics is to mobilize companies in the ecosystem for robots and drones and thereby ensure the continuation of the business lighthouse effort by contributing to innovation in SMEs within the business lighthouse’s three strengths: Large structure production, advanced drones and autonomous coastal shipping.

There are barriers to transport chains in the Öresund-Kattegat-Skagerrak area. The Value4Sea project will help remove or minimise them.

Floating Power Plant (FPP) are a Danish company who develop a novel floating wind concept, with the foundation constructed using flat panels instead of cylindrical structures. Whilst this enables a fast-commercial roll-out due to the lack of competition for manufacturing facilities, a large contingency presently needs to be included in the design as hydrodynamic phenomena occur that are not well represented by industry-standard simulation tools. FPP have already taken the concept from the original idea of a Danish inventor, through a scaled offshore prototype in Danish waters to a multi-MW demonstrator (to be deployed in a parallel co-funded EU project).

This project will solve the final challenge for FPP, taking the technology from the multi-MW demonstrator stage to a cost-competitive mass-produced concept. The output will be three large demonstration activities and six innovations, including a commercially-ready simulation tool and two fully optimised commercial designs, WindFlex (a floating wind turbine with integrated hydrogen energy storage) and WindWaveFlex (a floating wind turbine with integrated wave energy converters and hydrogen energy storage).

Wavepiston has developed a unique, groundbreaking wave energy technology that can deliver both energy and desalinated water, but costs are still not competitive. The consortium of Wavepiston, Technical University of Denmark and Aalborg University, together with key suppliers in the value chain, will redesign key subcomponents of the Wavepiston technology to reduce weight and increase durability to reduce CAPEX and OPEX, and increase efficiency of the energy conversion for higher annual energy production. This will ensure a competitive LCOE right after the finalization of the project.

The work package explores the application of the new developments in Natural Language Processing (NLP) to improve accident analysis completeness and predictability. The findings will be illustrated by analyzing ongoing safety challenges in constructing, operating, and maintaining energy hubs in the North and Baltic Seas. Energinet and its partners (research collaborators involved in development of the energy hubs) have suggested the analysis of diving and deck operations during the installation, maintenance, and repair of subsea cables and operations related to ship traffic.

In Jammerbugt in Skagerrak, some of the most intensively fished Danish sea areas are found. The area is particularly characterised by the fact that all of the most important types of Danish fishing methods for demersal fishing for food fish take place. This applies to gillnets, which are fixed fishing gears, as well as beam trawls, purse seines and trawls, which are bottom-towed fishing gears. The different gears physically affect the seabed in different ways. Fixed fishing gears have relatively low impact and are therefore not included in this project. The habitats on the seabed in the area and the fauna associated with them have not been studied in particular detail. This is important in terms of being able to assess the effect of bottom-towed fishing gears.

There has therefore been a desire to have the impacts from bottom-towed fishing gears, with a main focus on beam trawls, investigated. Through monitoring work in 2023, this research project has investigated fishing activities, the impact of bottom-towed gears, habitats, fauna and biodiversity in general. Many different monitoring tools have been used to provide a broader understanding of these conditions, including: sidescan sonar, vessel satellite data, underwater drone, underwater video camera, towed Ockelmans sled, Van Veen grab for bottom samples, sound recordings and e-DNA. Taken together, the studies provide new general insight into marine nature and impacts from fishing activities with bottom-tow fishing gear in Jammerbugt.

This project will develop an innovative method to attract and trap heavy metals in sea water and marine sediments on a cathode metal “sponge”, using electrochemical separation and precipitation of heavy metal ions, allowing effective removal from the marine environment. For this purpose, different 3D metal cathodes “sponges” will be printed out and tested for optimization of removal capacity, surface area and material use. We will measure water and sediments heavy metal concentrations before and after the test, to evaluate efficiency of the specific cathode “metal sponge”.

This project includes modelling, designing and testing of a 150 kW solid-oxide electrolysis (SOE) system for renewable hydrogen production. The produced hydrogen can be used as a component for future green electro-fuels like ammonia or methanol.

The SOC stacks will be operated by the novel AC:DC control method which enables dynamic hydrogen production due to fluctuating electricity production from wind turbines.

The AC:DC method requires bi-directional power flow of the stacks and dedicated power electronic converters will therefore be developed in this project as well.

When the project is successfully completed, the consortium will have demonstrated manufacturing and operation of a power-to-X plant with AC:DC operation technology. This is an important milestone on the path for megawatt production.

The recent focus on monitoring of underwater energy and information infrastructure in and near Danish waters has increased the debate on the use of unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs). While general monitoring can be advantageously carried out with sailing vessels, detailed inspection will necessarily require underwater vehicles with optical and acoustic sensors.

Industrially, UUVs have long been used for inspection and maintenance tasks with varying degrees of automation. Common to the automation of UUVs is the localization problem below the water surface. Today, acoustic solutions (LBL/SBL/USBL) mounted at the water surface are used for triangulation and thereby localization. Such solutions contribute a significant time delay, which makes automatic and precise navigation near underwater structures and objects impossible. At the same time, the localization solution is also inflexible due to the necessity of the sensors mounted at the sea surface or bottom. There has therefore been increased focus on using localization sensors that are mounted exclusively on UUVs, such as high-frequency short-range sonar and camera solutions. Sonar is extremely robust in environments where visibility is low, while the camera solution in good visibility provides the most information about objects and structures. A combination solution seems obvious to solve both the navigation problem and automated object detection and classification of the surrounding environment.

Machine learning methods have long been used for navigation and object detection for flying drones, but have not yet gained traction for UUVs. The biggest challenge is that machine learning requires a relatively large amount of data with great diversity to ensure reliable results. There are several ways to create such datasets, and for flying drones it has been shown that data augmentation with a mixture of real and virtual photorealistic images provides a good basis. Virtual images have the great advantage of enabling a simulation of conditions that can be difficult or costly to test in. For conditions above water, there are several software solutions, including from the gaming industry, which can create such realistic virtual environments. There is no equivalent solution for underwater environments where, among other things, water turbidity, light attenuation and sunlight refraction with the water surface have been studied. The tools allow these effects to be included, but there is no evidence that this gives realistic results.

In this project we want to investigate the possibility of generating and using virtual underwater environments for data augmentation in connection with training and validation of navigation, object and classification methods. We will limit the study to one case with a smaller environment with few objects, so that we can verify or falsify the working method during the project period. Results will obviously also reveal the potential for applying for a larger and more comprehensive project.

The objective of PERMAGOV is to assess and improve the performance of marine policies in supporting the implementation of the EU Green Deal goals. PERMAGOV does so by developing Multi-Layered Collaborative Marine Governance Strategies together with stakeholders. Project partners in PERMAGOV study institutional barriers, fragmented planning processes and insufficient possibilities for stakeholder involvement, which hinder the implementation of the EU Green Deal.

Focusing on specific cases within the four thematic fields of Maritime Transport, Marine Plastics, Marine Energy, and Marine Life, PERMAGOV is dedicated to improving the performance of marine governance at different scales. The project partners apply participatory research methods to enhance existing formal and informal dynamics and to leverage the use of relevant digital tools. Altogether this will facilitate stakeholder engagement and knowledge and information exchange. PERMAGOV provides a key contribution to the EU Green Deal for several marine domains by delivering actionable insights for better informed decision making by policy makers, by increasing public awareness of marine affairs, and by contributing to an improved conceptualization of problems and solutions in multi-layered marine governance.

Staff members from Centre for Blue Governance are broadly involved in the different aspects of the project.

PERMAGOV is funded by the EU’s Horizon Europe programme.

AquaINFRA will develop a virtual environment equipped with FAIR multi-disciplinary data and services to support marine and freshwater scientists and stakeholders restoring healthy oceans, seas, coastal and inland waters. The AquaINFRA virtual environment will enable the target stakeholders to store, share, access, analyse and process research data and other research digital objects from their own discipline, across research infrastructures, disciplines and national borders leveraging on EOSC and the other existing operational dataspaces (e.g., EMODnet, Copernicus Marine Service, Digital Twins, etc.).

The purpose of EFFORT (Electrification and Flexibility provision from Green PORT North) is to ensure successful development of Hirtshals Port through intelligent use of data for controlling the energy usage. Data is used for analyses of existing consumption and energy production and possible scenarios and management methods for future expansion of the port. A local data hub is built with associated IT infrastructure to obtain necessary data. Requirements for data for forecasting, optimization of green electricity consumption, flexibility, electricity grid capacity and services for electricity markets with help of intelligent management are analyzed along with possibilities for sector coupling at the port. The analyses help to assess a suitable transition for expected development at the port. A roadmap based on technical analyses is drawn up at the end of the project, giving Greenport North, Hirtshals Port and Nord Energi Net A/S guidelines for future development of necessary infrastructure and a basis for development of a symbiosis network and a local energy system at the port. The set up roadmap for sector coupling, provision of flexibility and symbiosis from industry in a local area, can be utilized at other industrial areas in cities and at ports both in Denmark and worldwide.

OLAMUR will demonstrate and promote multi-use low trophic aquaculture (MU-LTA) in both low and high salinity offshore waters, bringing together state-of-the- art practices in MU-LTA and key industry partners, achieving at least TRL7 and paving the way for a low- impact and low-carbon seafood industry.

CAPeX will develop and implement a new powerful Materials Acceleration Platform (MAP) for rapid development of materials and a closed-loop data infrastructure where new catalysts and other materials for power-to-X are discovered, synthesized and designed directly for their intended operating conditions.

Moorings of floating oil and gas (O&G) structures present surprisingly large failure rates. A top solution is a redundancy in the design. However, marine renewables cannot afford such redundancy in the mooring design to obtain a competitive levelised cost of energy (LCOE). The EU-funded ISLINGTON project will reduce uncertainties in the estimated fatigue damage of mooring cables due to soil-cable interaction in the touch-down zone (TDZ) and the economic cost for marine renewables. ISLINGTON will improve the numerical modelling of the cable-soil interaction in the TDZ for mooring cables, generate experimental data for mooring line trenching and perform a numerical investigation of the effect of trenching on the fatigue of mooring cables.

OBAMA-NEXT aims to develop a toolbox for generating accurate, precise and relevant information characterizing marine ecosystems and their biodiversity. This will be achieved by integrating new/emerging technologies, including remote sensing, eDNA, optical instruments and citizen science, with existing marine monitoring techniques for improving our capacity to describe ecosystem function and biodiversity with higher spatial and temporal resolution. The project will contribute to shaping next generation monitoring programs and defining Essential Ocean/Biodiversity Variables (EOVs/EBVs). Stakeholders will be involved from the onset of the project to identify products needed in an iterative co-creating and specification process. These specifications will guide the application of algorithms, including advanced statistical analyzes and artificial intelligence, which combine and translate different data sources into information products (ie, maps and indicators) to fulfill stakeholders’ needs. Routines for visualization and methods for uncertainty assessment are also important components of the toolbox development. The toolbox will be evaluated and improved based on 12 selected Learning Sites (LS), representing diverse ecosystems and data sources within the four European regional seas. The applicability of the information products, compiled with the toolbox on LS data, will be evaluated as input to models for predicting biodiversity and as support for environmental and biodiversity policies. The project will also assess the usefulness of the products with respect to the EU objective of designating an ecologically coherent MPA network and the applicability of C-burial rates in angiosperm habitats for carbon offsetting and Nationally Determined Contributions. OBAMA-NEXT will strengthen Europe’s capability in acquiring and utilizing biological ocean observations for better management of marine resources through strong public outreach and active stakeholder communication.

In the project, DTU will develop tools that can help a bulk shipping company predict market trends so they can deliver the right capacity to the right region. Furthermore, tools will be developed to plan a coherent route plan to ensure that new orders are available at the final destination to avoid deadheading.

Abstract:
The worldwide climate change is caused by the increased greenhouse gas (GHG) concentration in the atmosphere. To achevie the Paris Agreements 1.5 °C pathway the GHG carbon dioixde (CO2) must be reduced. Therefore according to the UN’s Climate Panel IPCC, a crucial tool to achieving the Paris Agreement is Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) which would be challenging to achieve without. CCUS is a technology where the CO2 emissions are reduced by capturing the CO2 and storing it in a geological site or utilising it for green fuel production. However, the CO2 cannot be stored or utilised if there is no connection between the capture site and the storage or utilisation site. Three primary forms of transportation are by trucks, ships or through pipelines. Pipeline transportation is the main way of transporting CO2. However, impurities like H2O, H2S, NOx, and SOx can compromise the transportation and cause corrosion or scaling, leading to huge economic costs, underlining the need for proper pipeline material selection and monitoring of these impurities. Furthermore, it is desired to limit the need for purification of the CO2 without having the risk of corrosion, becoming a cost balance between material and purification cost.
This PhD project will study the material integrity of the Carbon Capture Storage transportation infrastructure, focusing on the impurities and their negative impacts on the transportation infrastructure. Additionally, measure corrosion and monitor the impurities inside the CO2 transport pipeline.

Description
100 kW EXOWAVE wave energy testing in Hanstholm.

Key results
• Design, build and demonstrate an Exowave wave energy converter (WEC) block at a 14-meter water depth in the Danish North Sea in conjunction with a hydro turbine driven electrical generator connected to the grid. The power generation would be +100 kW.
• Include learnings from EUDP1: numerical model verified by tank test (AAU) and CFD analysis (Delft University), feasibility study: wind and wave plant in very large scale, WEC detailed design and engineering, FAT and demonstration at DanWEC site.
• Assess the environmental impact and improve animal life by shaping the WEC foundation for fish breeding grounds.
• Life cycle analysis and include eco-friendly materials as waste materials from wind turbine blade waste materials.
• Assess supply chain in the North Sea region with special focus in Denmark and its raw material, production facilities, knowledge provider for fulfilling the aim above LOI target and support the Danish national energy target in 2030 and 2050. And to include the results in the design phase. The overall KPI here is to lower LCOE.
• TRL improve from 6 to 7

SDU Maritime research platform is an interdisciplinary research platform with researcher from four different faculties at SDU (Health, Humanities, Social Science and Engineering). The work is related to research in the maritime part of the offshore sector. The topics cover a wide range of disciplines as e.g., sustainability, safety, risk, human factors, history, logistics, business, regulation, naval architecture, energy, and maritime operations.

This is an international researcher-practitioner collaboration to co-produce a conceptualisation of marine identity.
The collaboration aims, via workshops, shared writing tasks, and networking platforms, to co-produce an academic paper for publication on the nature and types of marine identities.

What does it mean to identify with the marine? Are there universal aspects to this? To what extent does it affect the relationship between humans, other humans, and the coast? The paper will engage with such questions and this collaboration will aim to create space for follow on work and opportunities in developing knowledge in this space.

This Bubble Project aims to assess the feasibility of revamping offshore oil and gas infrastructures transforming them into units producing methane from wind power.

The region of Southern Denmark has had a long historical tradition for a strong involvement in the maritime sector, but the region has for the last 50 years been especially known for its deep involvement in the offshore sector, with Esbjerg as a key location in Northern Europe. The sector is now well-established and continues to grow, currently undertaking a radical transformation. This development is influenced by different factors, including an increase in offshore oil and gas decommissioning, as well as the rapidly growing offshore wind farms and plans for building large energy islands. These islands will serve as electro fuel production and bunkering facilities but will also become hubs that facilitate better connections between the energy generated from offshore wind constructions and the zero emission energy systems ashore. These developments all lead to important challenges and opportunities for the maritime sector. For instance, a strong focus on the maritime offshore sector is essential to realize the plans for developing the energy offshore sector and the connected goals for costs, efficiency, sustainability, performance etc. in all stages of the life cycle, from design, construction, operation, and maintenance to the final decommissioning. The maritime offshore activities will therefore be essential for reaching the United Nations (UN) 2030 and 2050 climate targets. The idea of the project is to investigate multiple aspects of this transition.
The project portfolio consists of six interconnected work packages (WP 1-6) that serve as part of a holistic collaboration platform that will significantly energize the maritime research at SDU. The topics are interdisci-plinary and cover a wide range of maritime disciplines, such as:

• Sustainability, safety, and risks
• Energy efficiency, maintenance, propulsion technologies and fuels
• Business history
• Business and Logistics
• Regulation
• Human factors, health, socio-economic issues
• Naval architecture and maritime operations

All work packages, though separate in their research focus, are interconnected and important to the project, as the breadth and interdisciplinarity of the initiative is what makes it unique in a Danish context.

The project investigates the green transition to fisheries and fisheries technologies that are sustainable in a life cycle perspective. The project intends to combine knowledge on fisheries policy, management, and technology with data and methods from industrial ecology and product environmental assessment to obtain a deeper and multidimensional understanding of the impact of fisheries and improve decision making for stakeholders and policymakers in this sector.

The project has two key objectives: 1) to develop new methods that accurately assess the climate impacts of fisheries accounting for constraints in supply, 2) to identify the trade-offs between fisheries practices that promote sustainable harvesting of stocks and the more recent drive to fish in a climate-friendly way.

The project combines expertise, tools, and methods from three different research domains: life cycle assessment, fishing technology, marine governance.

Marine SABRES brings together stakeholders from government, policy, business and coastal management, with marine scientists to co-design a simple Social-Ecological System framework to accelerate the uptake of Ecosystem-Based
Management and strengthen interventions and measures for the protection and conservation of coastal and marine areas, their biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (ES). Marine SABRES will enhance formulation and support implementation of European and international marine policies, by effectively translating scientific knowledge into management and conservation action. It will enable managers to make sustainable decisions; empower citizens to engage with marine biodiversity conservation; and promote sustainable development in coastal and marine sectors, setting Europe on a course to reverse marine biodiversity decline.

The decision to build the world’s first two offshore energy islands (or hubs) is a cornerstone in reaching Denmark’s climate targets and a beginning of a new era for green Danish technology export. With an estimated value of DKK 210bn, the offshore energy islands will create significant business opportunities for Danish stakeholders. In the Offshore Energy Hubs (OEH) project we develop technical solutions for:
a) tools and control solutions for stable and resilient hub operation,
b) cost-efficient design of wind power plants (WPPs) and
c) hub-optimized offshore Power-to-X (PtX).

The value creation of the OEH solutions is both direct and indirect. The developed solutions will reduce capital costs by DKK 20bn just for the first 10 GW islands, and, most importantly, will enable a future-proof expansion of the energy islands. This opens up immense global market opportunities for the technologies developed by the top Danish industry, who are partners to this project. Therefore, the technical solutions developed in the OEH project contribute to ensuring the profitability of the OEH, while also ensuring the stability of the hub and the connected power systems.

The OEH’s execution ensures timely contributions to the partners’ strategy and roadmaps. OEH will deliver a framework for Bornholm as a large-scale development and demonstration center for offshore energy island technology, supporting Danish industry in maintaining its first-mover position.

The aim is to obtain knowledge of nonlinear loads which could cause unwanted dynamics or stability issues for the DC-microgrid. This leads to the investigation of the nonlinear loads: Constant Power Loads and Reversible Solid Oxide Cells.
The design of a suitable DC-DC converters and control systems are investigated to fulfill performance requirements and mitigate stability issues.

Vessel propellers have reduced power efficiency with increased growth of barnacles and fouling, leading to an

increase in fuel consumption as high as 5%. SubBlue Robotics has developed an underwater propeller po-
lishing robot that allows for propeller polishing without the use of divers, and is capable of careful, precisepolishing of curved surfaces. As no divers are in the water, it can polish when the ship is loading and unloading

cargo, thus saving the shipowner valuable idling. Idling is the reason why the propeller polishing is often skip-
ped. The project will give technical robustness to the existing prototype, develop commercial grade components, and test the robot on commercial vessels. Leading partner is SubBlue Robotics, who has worked on

the designs and prototypes since 2016, the MMMI now IME institute at SDU provides knowledge on robots in harsh

enviroments, while shipowners DFDS and Maersk and diving company Odin Diving represent the market de-
mands the robot must meet. Three senior executives from CoGrow have invested in SubBlue Robotics, who

has just secured yet more capital and competences from two more investors.

HVDC offshore wind farms with MVDC power collection have recently aroused researchers’ interest as these systems offer lower losses and fabrication expenses. Numerous potential MVDC converters could be used in the power collection stage of offshore wind farms; however, when it comes to the technology level, these DC/DC converters are still immature since no substantial studies concerning their control exist. Thus, this Ph.D. project aims to address the research gap to enhance the performance as well as the efficiency of an MVDC converter. The novel switching and control technique proposed in this project together with the significant features of wide bandgap switches provide the condition based on which the MVDC converter could operate at higher switching frequencies than what is already possible. Hence, the controlled MVDC converter will be smaller in size and lighter in weight compared to the conventional ones which reduces the LCOE and provides better possibilities for modularity.

MAN Energy Solutions is developing a new two-stroke dual fuel natural gas-diesel marine engine based on new premixed combustion technology. The current project aims to study the methane slip which is one of the main challenges of the premixed technology. The pilot diesel fuel injection parameters will be optimized to obtain higher efficiency and lower emissions.

Industrial PhD Project at DTU together with North Sails on modelling, design and cost optimization of wind propulsion systems for commercial ships.

Industrial PhD project at Roskilde University together with with SeaLytix on the development of stowage algorithms and AI for energy efficient liner shipping.

Industrial PhD project with TORM at RUC on the use of AIS data to model and forecast the optimal positioning of ships.

This project explores how communication, gender, and sustainability affect the cluster performance of the Port of Tema in Ghana.

The objective of GreenHyScale is to pave the way for large scale deployment of electrolysis both onshore and offshore

Microgrids (MG) effectively ease the integration of renewable energy sources (RES) and energy storage systems (ESS) at the consumption level, which generally aims to increase the efficiency of the electrical system and reduce the dependency of the electrical supply on fossil fuels. On the other hand, the MGs concept has been widely studied, which focuses on overcoming these issues in a reliable, efficient, and sustainable way, but still, challenges exist. For instance, the severe power outages caused by natural disasters (ND), such as tsunamis, floods, earthquakes, etc. all of which affect industrial production, disturb business as well as home operations, and may endanger human lives. These possible natural disasters and incidents impose new challenges involving sophisticated control strategies, operations, and vulnerability to natural disasters. Most of these events directly affect the overall power system and as well communication system. After a disaster, the main grid may blackout, and gen-sets are shut down for security reasons. In this situation, low-power portable containerized Ad-Hoc MGs can provide an emergency solution for two or three days to the critical loads, and potable water pumps can be provided to relieve the damaged area. However, resilience in front of extreme grid faults is still a technical challenge for MGs to deal with NDs. Therefore, the main concerns and current challenges for increasing renewable energy penetration and resiliency in power systems should be targeted to ensure high and unprecedented levels of system resiliency and recovery under NDs. For this purpose, we need resilient energy systems that are robust against these events, moreover, they can keep the power system safe against overall collapse and complete power outages as much as possible. For sizing and siting of ad-hoc and community MGs to supply energy for emergency clinic support and clean water provision in the potentially damaged areas caused by NDs are done by using HOMER Grid/Simulink. Operational Management Systems (OMS) will be developed by using GAMS and Matlab/Simulink for the microgrid operation taking into account the priority of sensitive loads in the islands during the ND. For experimental verification, the project outcomes will also be implemented on real-time control and monitoring platform (dSPACE) in the microgrids Laboratory. This Ph.D. project part of the planning and operational management systems (OMS) is aligned with the ongoing project `Microgrid Technologies for Remote Indonesian Islands-TECH-IN` to cope with the main concerns to provide high levels of resiliency and availability of electricity supply in front of natural disasters.

Funding: ChiefMinister Merit Scholarships (CMMS), The Punjab Educational Endowment Fund (PEEF), Pakistan.

Sponsored: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, DANIDA Fellowship Centre (Project No. 20-M06-AAU) and supported byDANIDA Fellowship Centre and TECHIN Cerner of Research on Microgrids AAUEnergy, Aalborg University, Aalborg Denmark.

The project addresses the vital issue of how the oceans can be used sustainably and governed more effectively. The centre of analysis are 3 linked case studies that explore infrastructural flows for effective oceanic governance: maritime shipping routes, undersea cables and marine oil spills.

The purpose of this project is to develop new algorithms and AI methods to optimize the loading of the container vessels. The project also aims at engagning the open research environment with standard descriptions of the problems and the development of new experts to the area.

This project aims to suppress the oscillation motion of floating offshore wind turbines and to improve the structural safety margin of the turbines. The tension leg platform has good vertical stiffness, but insufficient horizontal stiffness and are prone to yawing motion. By establishing a vibration isolation system to resist and dissipate wave impact and wind load impact. The excitation and damage caused by external loads to the wind turbine can be effectively mitigated. The response of the wind turbine is analyzed based on the wave load spectrum and the response curve of the floating platform is calculated using numerical simulation as a basis for designing the hybrid vibration isolation system. A suitable control strategy is selected to first dissipate the waves by controlling the actuators and then dissipate the energy using hybrid vibration isolation. Simulations and experimental studies are used to select the appropriate dynamic parameters for the vibration isolation system to achieve the desired response of the wind turbine. The life state analysis of key components such as tension legs is carried out. The performance degradation characteristics and laws of wind turbines under low-frequency cyclic waves are studied to ensure their safe operation.

PhD project at DTU on the use of green fuels for sustainable transport

Accelerating the digital innovation in the PtX energy sector and its related sectors requires considering all stakeholders in the development of digital ecosystem solutions for efficient sector coupling in PtX value chains.
The project will investigate the potential and possibilities of purchasing electricity from large-scale offshore wind and energy islands for use in a regional ecosystem with sector coupling solutions, PtX production and infrastructure. The project will build knowledge, uncover commercial opportunities and screen for business potential and skills needed to build and run the ecosystem.

SEAwise is a dynamic research programme aimed at understanding the current state-of-play of fisheries management across Europe, and facilitating the widespread implementation of Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management (EBFM) in the region. Through a targeted research programme, and in close collaboration with our stakeholder network, we will work to develop a fully operational, synthesised management advice tool that highlights the benefits – or potential trade-offs – of fisheries management decisions. To do this, SEAwise will work to identify and address the key challenges currently inhibiting EBFM.

SEAwise is funded by the EU’s Horizon 2020 programme.

This project will identify major challenges and opportunities for ports as facilitators of the transition to alternative fuels for shipping and industry. The project has the long-term ambition to establish an international partnership for academic research on the topic.

A strong Indonesian grid over a large geographic area is required in order to integrate wind, solar or other RES. HVDC links would allow transmitting carbon-neutral power from islands where its generation is more efficient and viable to those with high consumption. Consequently, the number of CFPP reduces, the percentage of electricity generated via RES increases and grid reliability improves by increasing the level of interconnection. Besides a strong contribution to reduce the Indonesian carbon footprint from electricity generation and improve the security of supply, other big prospects arise from having HVDC links:

Submarine cables between the main islands would lay in the vicinity of small islands, offshore oil platforms and offshore areas with high wind. The taping of these lower power areas to the main link would allow eliminating fossil generation at the small islands, as well as to ease the construction of offshore RES by reducing costs.
A modular approach through the years is possible, allowing a higher adaptability and a better business case from a step-by-step expansion
Boost economy growth outside Java, via RES power-plants, new/enhanced infrastructures, which lead to new local business opportunities
The results can be replicated not only for other island areas (e.g. Philippines), but also onshore in regions with high RES potential and weak grids, as Africa;
To have HVDC-VSC technology in Indonesia is a crucial backbone for a S.E. Asia electrical grid. The project will not address this, but its outcome is key for further development of electrical interconnection between S.E. Asia countries and/or to interface Indonesia with the Australia-ASEAN Power Link.

To transfer energy from collected offshore wind farms over a long distance, HVDC transmission is preferred over HVAC in terms of efficiency and economy. Several multi-stage configurations have been proposed in the literature. However, the multi-stage configuration generally results in a large size due to a large number of conversion stages, relatively high cost, and low efficiency and power density. Also, the independent control of several converters and communication among the sources make the system complex. To overcome these disadvantages, multi-port modular DC/DC topologies have been suggested. Multiport converters are highly non-linear MIMO systems with many control variables. Also, the coupling between the control variables makes modeling and control system design complicated. Despite such complexity, advanced control techniques have not been comprehensively studied. Moreover, most controller design work on multiport converters has not considered the uncertainties of the converter model. In this Ph.D. study, a robust controller is implemented for multi-port modular DC/DC converter for offshore wind farms application.

This project enables Danish participation in IEA Wind Task 44: Farm Flow Control. The focus is on control strategies to mitigate wake effects in wind farms. The purpose of IEA Wind Task 44 is to coordinate international research in the field of wind field control inside wind farms. The technology used for this task covers a wide range, but focuses primarily on control algorithms and strategies and how they are transferred to real-world operational improvements.

The intention is to bring together ongoing research results as well as best industry practice, create an overview of control strategies and algorithms and investigate how uncertainties affect the performance and potential for implementation of wind farm control.
The result is guidance for the wind industry and researchers on the current control algorithms, requirements, barriers to adoption, future directions and expected benefits of wind farm control.

PhD project at DTU on Decision Support for Transportation Planning of Supply Chain Management Service Providers.

The core aim of the RESOCO is to build an interdisciplinary synthesis of up-to-date Nordic knowledge and best practices and set the stage for alternative solutions on how to effectively reconcile seal-fishery conflict in the Baltic Sea.

The overall objective of RESOCO is to propose pragmatic and regionally applicable measures which are acceptable to all key stakeholders involved in seal-fishery conflicts in the Baltic Sea. These measures include a mixture of technological tools and practices, management of seal populations, economic measures, and institutional and governance instruments.

The project applies a transdisciplinary approach, incorporating technological sciences, social sciences, economics, environmental psychology, and natural sciences. It supports participatory, coordinated and synergetic approaches for moving towards a more balanced situation in seal-fishery conflict.

PhD project at DTU on the use of sustainable lignin fuels on marine engines.

PhD project at DTU on ammonia ignition in combustion engines.

PhD project at DTU on uncertainty in RORO ship planning.

The main objective of this project is to provide a detailed feasibility study of the economy, maturity and technical challenges in changing diesel gen-sets of the offshore service fleets with a hybrid battery and fuel cell powered units. Currently, these ships are supplied with 2-4 high velocity 4-stroke diesel motors with the size 1-6MW that consume low-sulfur diesel oil. These ships normally sail with 14 day return cycles and therefore they should be equipped with energy stored for at least 14 days.

The purpose of the project is to mature the idea of ​​a novel approach for establishing reliable digital twins of offshore wind turbines, which can be employed for improved operation and maintenance of these systems. Upon successful completion of this, the intention is to apply for an Innovation Fund project or EUDP project. The aim is to develop digital twins based on closed-loop model updating and incorporate them in a systematic procedure for structural health monitoring of wind turbines, and (2) aim To develop data-driven control strategies for vibration damping.

This PhD project at DTU explores underwater radiated noise prediction for marine propellers.

PhD project at DTU on simulation of wave inducing whipping response of ships.

The project uses digital innovation to monitor RoRo shipping emissions and optimize the industry operational and strategic planning. By doing so, we reduce the fuel consumption of the used vessels, which have the highest impact factor on the GHG emissions produced during maritime shipping.

The overarching objective of VALID (Verification through Accelerated testing Leading to Improved wave energy Designs) is to de-risk the whole WEC design process in terms of components reliability and survivability by developing an integrated and open platform for the testing of critical components and subsystems, proposing novel testing procedures going beyond current testing practices. As a consequence, it will facilitate developers to take sound design decisions at early stages of technology developments.

Wave power is one of the most reliable resources for renewable energy utilisation. However, the development of high-performance wave energy converters (WECs) is a complex challenge and requires a solid framework of evaluation tools. The EU-funded VALID project will focus on developing and validating a new test rig platform and methodology for accelerated hybrid testing that can be used across the wave energy sector. By improving the reliability and survivability of the components and subsystems that form WECs, the project aims to establish a standard for future use.

The project has explored the potential for Danish yards and maritime industry, addressing questions regarding the size and composition of the relevant near-end-of-life fleet, the structure and capabilities of the Danish yards and maritime industry and a deeper analysis of the market for ship recycling in Denmark, including the pricing of end-of-life shipping assets and the nature of transactions.

The project aims to develop wind farm models based on data and artificial intelligence algorithms. The model and data will support the design of intelligent control algorithms for wind farms. This modeling method is used to solve the problem that existing models cannot be used for actual wind farm control. The model uses machine learning models to learn high-fidelity model data to improve the performance of low-fidelity models. So as to achieve the balance between the fidelity required by the control algorithms and the computational cost. The wind farm control algorithm based on this model aims to improve the power production and turbine life of the total farm by intelligent wake redirection. The wind power industry will also benefit from the development of artificial intelligence algorithms. Reinforcement learning is used to design intelligently optimized controllers for wind farms.

A common challenge for structures submerged in water, such as offshore oil and gas platforms and wind turbine foundations, is marine fouling. The fouling consists of, for example, mussels and sea grass, which settle permanently on the structure and thereby increase both the volume and roughness of the material. This causes increased stress and fatigue of the structure, primarily due to increased wave loads and the weight of the fouling. Furthermore, the fouling complicates inspections of the structure, which are important for documenting the durability of the material. These disadvantages are reduced by cleaning the fouling off at regular intervals. Alternatively, the structure is oversized in the design phase to overcome the loads from marine fouling. Both methods are expensive for the production and/or operation of the structures and thus for energy production. In this project, two major players within Denmark’s strengths, oil and gas (Total E&P) and wind (Siemens Gamesa), have joined forces to support the development of an improved concept for inspecting and combating marine fouling. The concept is based on improved robotic technology, which will raise the level of automation, as well as a compact setup that makes the operation independent of large environmentally polluting vessels, which the clean-up campaigns today depend on. The solution will finally be tested in the North Sea and will raise the technology from TRL 4 to TRL 7.

PhD project at DTU on a high-order finite difference method on overlapping grids for predicting the hydro-elastic response of ships

This project intends to develop an indicator that can effectively reflect all attributes of a ship’s energy efficiency.

PhD Project at DTU on monitoring carbon emissions of ships

This project looks at different operational variables of a marine engine from large cargo ships, with the aim of detecting and trending damage onset on different engine sub-components. This information can be used by owners to expedite O&M interventions and maximize ship availability.

Through the project ‘Fiskens Fodaftryk’, extensive work has been done to uncover key challenges related to assessments of the climate impact of Danish fisheries (‘CO2 footprint’) through life cycle assessments (Life Cycle Assessment, LCA). ‘Fisheries’ in this context covers the catch stage, although subsequent stages such as processing and transport also contribute to the climate impact of fish products via CO2 emissions related to these stages.

On a general level, the project has explored different methodological approaches, the importance of assumptions, data availability, and partly the communication challenges that may arise when calculating the climate impact of Danish fisheries. Ultimately, the project’s results can contribute to future opportunities to work in a targeted and documentable manner to reduce the climate impact of Danish fisheries, where this is possible and appropriate. The project’s insights will also be relevant in the context of the development of consumer-oriented environmental and climate labels or campaigns.

The project has focused in particular on examining the possibilities and limitations of making climate impact assessments based on data that is continuously and systematically collected at the national level for (approximately) the entire fisheries sector. Such an approach could potentially make it manageable to continuously produce uniform assessments that cover the entire fisheries sector, as models and data processing procedures can thus be applied uniformly and effectively to the entire sector.

The project is funded by the Fisheries Tax Fund 2020-2021, and the output and activities from the project are made available continuously via this page.

With Horizon 2020 funding, ECOTIP launches a pioneering assessment of changes to Arctic marine ecosystems and societies, from melting ice to shifting fisheries

The ambitious new ECOTIP initiative brings together a multidisciplinary group of scientists from more than 10 countries to study ecosystem tipping cascades in the Arctic marine environment. This major international effort will advance understanding of the impacts of climate change on Arctic biodiversity and the cascading effects that biodiversity change can have on marine ecosystems, the climate services they provide, and the human communities that depend on them. The innovative four-year project, funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Programme, launched on 1 June 2020.

Turkey is one of the fastest-growing energy markets in the world, with an annual 8% increase in energy demand. By the end of 2018, the total installed capacity and electricity production of Turkey was 88.5 GW and 300.7 TWh, respectively. Nowadays, more than 70% of all electricity production is supplied by fossil resources, and almost 30% of all electricity production comes from renewables, mainly hydro, while wind constitutes only 6.6% of the total electricity mix.

The wind and solar energy rate in total consumption are planned to be increased by at least 30% in the coming five years according to the 2023 vision plan of Turkey. However, due to the intermittent nature of wind energy, large-scale wind power integration may pose some serious challenges to Turkey’s power system. Therefore, planning analysis and designing efforts are required to ensure the smooth, secure and reliable operation of Turkey’s power system and electricity markets considering large-scale wind power integration. WindFlag aims to solve relevant challenges of large scale OWPP deployment and integration into the Turkish grid, such as extreme weak-grid situations, islanding conditions, and large harmonics and resonances.

PhD project at DTU on data-driven prediction of added resistance on ships in waves

Understanding the marine environment is a key component to a more sustainable Earth. Technologies to automate data collection and analysis of the marine environment are necessary. Underwater cameras and AI (here in the form of computer vision algorithms) are predicted to play major roles in this regard. This research project takes its starting point in a recently established underwater camera setup that captures video in various conditions. The project aim is an underwater computer vision system that can estimate the visibility, prune the massive amounts of video so only images containing marine organism remains, and finally classify the marine organisms.

In ShipWeldFlow, we develop novel digital analysis and optimization tools to support the workflow of robotic welding in shipbuilding operations. We use Digital Twins to address the needs of two companies, Odense Maritime Technology and Inrotech, by joint development of the required digital tools to innovate the central workflow in modern steel ship production.

This project examines the production of political orders around deep-sea ports in Africa. Focusing on the intersection between territorial states, corporates and non-Western hegemons, the project asks: What kind of polities emerge around ports, and with what consequences for the political order of host states?

The objective of this project is to develop a conceptual control models for smart, sustainable and transparent operations in food supply chains.

The Ocean Energy Scale-up Alliance (OESA) is an accelerator project aiming to develop and deploy large scale marine energy pilots. The transnational partnership under the lead of the Dutch Marine Energy Centre (DMEC) combines expertise from 6 European countries from the North Sea Region.

The following three goals will accommodate a larger number of technology deployments in the future:

To develop a transnational scale-up offer for marine energy technologies, in which the services of large European service providers in offshore and marine energy are combined.
To accelerate the development of four technologies, leading to the deployment of 20 MW in large scale pilots.
To bring together stakeholders from the offshore industry, investment business and policy makers in a stakeholder platform and show the collaborative potential of marine energy in order to secure their support for future deployments in the ocean energy sector.

PERICLES is an EU-funded research and innovation project running from 2018-2021. PERICLES promotes sustainable, participatory governance of cultural heritage in European coastal and maritime regions through a unique interdisciplinary and geographically wide-ranging approach. The overall aim of the project is to develop and demonstrate a comprehensive framework to understand, preserve and utilize maritime cultural heritage for societal good.

Cultural heritage provides a sense of place, unity, and belonging. Rooted in specific landscapes, seascapes, buildings, stories, traditions, language, and cultural practices, cultural heritage is a fundamental part of every society. It connects people to each other and to the past and helps guide the future.

Protection and advocacy for cultural heritage can strengthen identity and local society, thereby improving the overall quality of life. Culture and heritage are essential in maintaining and building Europe’s economic, social, cultural and natural capital. Realizing the potential of cultural heritage in these terms can generate prosperity, bring new jobs, enhance communities and improve environments in ways comparable to Blue Growth initiatives.

Yet, coastal cultural landscapes face risks from climate change, pollution, urbanisation, mass tourism, demographic challenges in remote regions, the fundamental transformation of the European fishing industry, neglect, and inconsistent policies of sea and shore conservation across governance scales and between regions.

Floating offshore wind turbines (FOWT) is a new technology, which is still in its developing stage. FOWT could be the solution in order to increase the possible construction areas, as they are more suitable for deeper waters. But the downside is that a floating foundation introduces additional dynamics to the system, which could lead to complex constructions and thereby decrease their cost/effectiveness. If the FOWT control systems take these dynamics into account it could minimize the impact of these and thereby increase the advancement

of FOWTs. Therefore in this project it is sought to develop a physically scaled model of a real wind turbine, which is able to be controlled similar to real wind turbine systems, this includes generator torque control and blade pitching control. The physical model must be constructed in order to test and verify these controlling methods. In this project the scaled nacelle of a wind turbine is designed and constructed, together with the power electronics. It is a 1:35 scaled model of the NREL 5 MW reference wind turbine. Furthermore, blades are designed and constructed in order to match the scaled thrust force of the reference wind turbine. The dynamic models of the subsystems of the wind turbine are developed and controllers for them are designed. The controller’s impact is simulated in simulink models of the subsystems.

Mussels and other marine fouling settle on the part of offshore wind turbines and production platforms that is underwater.
The fouling worsens the load from the waves and reduces the load-bearing capacity of the structure by 25-65 percent. Today, the fouling is removed manually – typically using manually controlled underwater robots – which is a time-consuming and financially burdensome process.

The idea for the solution consists of three elements. 1. cleaning rings around the supporting structures that remove fouling when the water moves. 2. a robot that can move on the supporting structures and send a message about the size of the fouling. 3. A robot that can remove fouling by high-pressure washing underwater. The effect of the solution will be an extension of the service life of the structure, and an expected reduction in costs by 30-40 percent. In the North Sea alone, the industry currently spends a three-digit million amount annually on removing marine fouling.

The long-term goals of this task are:
1. To assess the accuracy and establish confidence in the use of numerical WEC models
2. To determine a range of validity of existing computational modeling tools
3. To identify uncertainty related to simulation methodologies in order to:
a. Reduce risk in technology development
b. Improve WEC energy capture estimates
c. Improve loading estimates
d. Reduce uncertainty in LCOE models
4. To define future research and develop methods of verifying and validating the different types of numerical models required depending on the conditions

This project aims at designing mooring system for floating wave energy converters (WECs) using a design approach based on numerical uncertainty quantification to estimate loads to a given tolerance level. This approach is to be compared to traditional deterministic approach with safety factors in terms of cost of the designed system. This is to be achieved by: (i) using an uncertainty quantification (UQ) toolbox based on general polynomial chaos (gPC) into a state-of-the-art mooring dynamics solver; (ii) to perform detailed numerical investigation on the influence on snap-loads on the mooring design. All parts aim at providing a base for lowering the economic cost of the mooring system.

The Baltic Sea Region Integrated Maritime Cultural Heritage Management (BalticRIM) is a 3-year project (2017-2020) led by State Archeology Department of Schleswig-Holstein, in Germany. It is part-funded by the Interreg BSR program under the ERDF.

The Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT) coordinates the European funded COST Action OceanGov (Ocean Governance for Sustainability – Challenges, Options and the Role of Science), chaired by Anna-Katharina Hornidge.

During the 4-year term of the project, ZMT brings together scientists, policy-makers and civil society representatives from 29 COST Member States to create and coordinate a research network for inter- and transdisciplinary research on ocean governance in the EU.

Thematically the network concentrates on the following six governance challenges:
Land-Sea Interactions
Area-Based Management
Seabed Resource Management
Nutrition Security and Food Systems
Ocean, Climate Change, and Acidification
Fisheries Governance

Within these six fields existing scientific research on different scale levels, regions and sustainability challenges is systematical being brought together and prepared in the form of integrated advice on governance tools and mechanisms to improve ocean related decision-making.

The MERCES project is focused on the restoration of different degraded marine habitats, with the aim of: 1) assessing the potential of different technologies and approaches; 2) quantifying the returns in terms of ecosystem services and their socio-economic impacts; 3) defining the legal policy and governance frameworks needed to optimize the effectiveness of the different restoration approaches. Specific aims include: a) improving existing, and developing new, restoration actions of degraded marine habitats; b) increasing the adaptation of EU degraded marine habitats to global change; c) enhancing marine ecosystem resilience and services; d) conducting cost-benefit analyzes for marine restoration measures; e) creating new industrial targets and opportunities.

Supported by DHRTC-DTU via Smart Water Flooding Flagship Programme. Two PhD positions. The objective of the SWTS is to develop a smart water management system that addresses both optimal operational performance and process development/design, by employing the advanced control and big data analytics technologies. This work will focus on innovative analysis, design and development of both Produced Water Treatment (PWT) and Injection Water Treatment (IWT) for offshore enhanced oil recovery using advanced water-flooding technology.

The ocean covers over 70% surface of the earth, however, we have to say that so far human being knows still very little under these waters, although we believe there should be plenty of resources we could adopt if we could find out some safe and cost-effective technology to do so. Subsea robotics has been helping human beings to extend their capabilities in recent decades, thanks to the rapid technology development. Subsea robots can commit difficult and/or dangerous tasks beyond human’s natural capability, such as deepwater sea floor scanning, oil & gas exploitation and exploration, subsea pipeline installation and inspection, as well as handling some catastrophic disasters.

The proposed equipment can certainly provide us with a solid and professional subsea robotic platform, not only to verify our so-far obtained results, but also to inspire new thinking and ideas, as well as to provide relevant industries a lab-sized testing robot protocol.

The Oceans Past Platform Action aims to measure and understand the significance and value to European societies of living marine resource extraction and production to help shape the future of coasts and oceans. The Integrative Platform will lower the barriers between human, social and natural sciences; multiply the learning capacity of research environments; and enable knowledge transfer and co-production among researchers and other societal factors, specifically by integrating historical findings of scale and intensity of resource use into management and policy frameworks.

The oceans offer rich resources for feeding a hungry world. However, the sea is an alien space in a sense that the land is not. Fishing requires skills that must be learned, it presupposes culinary preferences, technical ability, knowledge of target species, and a backdrop of material and intangible culture. The Action asks when, how and with what socio-economic, political, cultural and ecological implications humans have impacted marine life, primarily in European seas in the last two millennia.

The Action calls on historians, archaeologists and social scientists as well as colleagues from the marine sciences to engage in dialogue and collaboration with ocean and coastal managers. The Action will develop historical descriptors and indicators for marine and coastal management.

The purpose of the project is to develop a gyroelectric energy conversion unit for wave energy. In order to demonstrate the technology under realistic conditions, a series of experimental tests will be carried out at the Nissum Bredning Test Station on a 5 kW unit.
The following main activities will be held:
Continuation of wave basin tests on an existing prototype at AAU. Including determination of the absorbed power at different standard sea conditions. Tests with irregular waves to optimize energy absorption under realistic conditions.
Design and manufacture of a 5 kW PTO unit. In the design and in the choice of manufacturing methods, emphasis will be placed on using standard components and manufacturing methods that can also be used in a possible production of a full-scale PTO unit (15, 30 and 50 kW).
Testing and demonstration of a 5 kW PTO unit at the Nissum Bredning Test Station. Over a period of approx. 10 months from August 2015 to June 2016, a series of tests will be carried out with the PTO unit mounted to the test station platform approx. 140 m from shore.
Preparation of a measurement program data processing for the tests at AAU, as well as the testing at Nissum Bredning.
Contact with wave power developers. In the final part of the project, a number of Danish and foreign wave power developers will be contacted with a view to starting an end-user dialogue with 2-3 wave power developers.

The Danish wave energy sector consists of several large floating and loosely anchored wave power plants. These plants require specially designed anchoring systems, as “standard” solutions (largely coming from the offshore oil and gas industry) are not designed for the conditions and specifications applicable to wave power plants. For these wave power plants, it is necessary to reduce the resulting anchoring and structural loads, which can be done by making the anchoring solutions more compliant. This will reduce the costs of the anchoring solution and the structure of the plant and thereby the overall costs of the plant and its produced energy, while making the systems more reliable.

The four plants selected to be part of this project are all at a stage of development where they have either completed, or are about to complete, testing of the plants at sea. The four plants are Floating Power Plant, Wave Dragon, Weptos and Leancon. They all require comparable anchoring solutions, as the plants are large, floating, loosely anchored structures operating in water depths of around 30 – 100 m at full commercial scale. This project investigates and compares different anchoring solutions that are useful for these wave power plants. The anchoring solutions are assessed step by step, in order to carry out a systematic and thorough evaluation. The project is organised in the following work packages:

– WP 1: Design practices and tools.
– WP 2: Anchoring solutions.
– WP 3: Preliminary design.
– WP 4: Full analysis.
– WP 5: Cost evaluation.
– WP 6: Selection and results.
– WP 7: Dissemination and project management.

Throughout the project, reports will be produced presenting the results of the selected studies and milestones according to the project Gantt chart. Each of them is crucial for the next step of the analysis and will thus be of great importance. The final results of this project are numerous. It will provide experience and insight into the development of anchoring solutions for all project partners. Furthermore, it will provide the developers with detailed analyses of the various anchoring solutions, and evaluate their prices and practical applicability. Aalborg University will build up experience and know-how in the field, which will enable them, and/or a possible spin-off company, to offer design services in the field to companies in the future. It is also expected to be significant cost and reliability benefits, in addition to having an effective anchoring solution, for the partner plants.

The purpose of this proof of concept project is to further investigate the WaveSpring technology and how it can benefit wave energy plants. The results from the project will increase the efficiency of wave energy plants and reduce the price of the energy produced from the plants.

The development of a new control system for marine antennas can give sailors and their contacts on land less hassle with bad connections and low data speeds. A Danish patented antenna system will be improved with ideas for control and stabilization at Aalborg University. The results will put the company in Hobro in front on a developing maritime market.

The pitch system of a wind turbine is one of the systems used for regulating the power production of the wind turbine. The Pitch system may turn the blades of the turbine from approximately 0 to 90 degrees around its own axis and thus regulate the energy input from the wind to the turbine. If the blades are turned into a 90 degree position the turbine will stop rotating and the energy production is stopped. If an error occurs in the turbine and it is necessary to shut the turbine down before extensive damage occurs, an emergency stop is performed by turning the blades to their 90 degree position. The pitch system is the primary safety system of the turbine.

As the pitch system has an essential function of the wind turbine it is extremely important that the system is reliable and available. Especially for offshore wind turbines it is extremely important that no other maintenance than the scheduled has to be performed. Research shows that pitch systems are currently responsible for 22% of wind turbines’ total downtime.
A combination of lower cost and increased reliability and availability on the hydraulic pitch system will reduce both the total cost of ownership (TCO) and Total Cost of Energy (TCE).

This project aims to significantly increase the reliability and availability of the pitch systems compared to current hydraulic and electric pitch systems. This is done through a modular way of thinking in which the entire system is brought out in the rotating hub and distributed in three individual systems – one for each wing. Through this transformation it is the goal to reduce the price by 20% while the number of components is lowered by 10%.

To increase uptime for a hydraulic pitch system, external leakage from the hydraulic components must be eliminated. This will be achieved through reductions in external leakage paths to both the environment in the hub of the turbine and nature where the turbine is erected. In 2012, 74% of the offshore wind turbines were installed with hydraulic pitch systems. Of the total offshore capacity, 86% of the turbines are controlled by hydraulic pitch systems (2012). It is the goal for the new hydraulic pitch system that it must be in new offshore wind turbines already being installed with hydraulic pitch, but by the modular thinking and plug and play setup it is possible to access turbine manufacturers who use electric pitch and thus take greater market share.

The technical challenge in designing a lasting structure and PTO is the key issue for any wave energy concept. The project aims at solving this main hindrance for wave energy converters. The intention with the project is to further develop a digital hydraulic PTO system with focus on the mechanical implementation.

It is also the intention of the project to broaden the knowledge to more than just a single absorber system. In reality, a WEC most often consists of several moving parts in the water, such as several floats which strongly interact hydrodynamically and possibly also mechanically. The focus in the project is, therefore, also on array effects.

The purpose of the project is to:

Perform numerical and small-scale laboratory array interaction tests with several
absorbers in an array consisting of multiple closely spaced point absorbers. Experimental tests will be performed at small scale in a wave basin on 5 existing experimental set-ups which are available at the Department of Civil Engineering, Aalborg University.

Further develop full-scale digital hydraulic PTO system. The use of better and
cheaper components, and including further measurements of forces and accelerations. This is achieved by upgrading, improving and further developing the digital hydraulic PTO-system, which is tested at the Department of Energy Technology, Aalborg University. Development will have a strong focus on the valve control strategies to reduce and minimize the loads on the structure by more intelligent switching of the valves, while maintaining a high power output.

Apply existing methods and do further development on fatigue analysis, reliability and risk assessment strategies for a digital hydraulic PTO. Tools like Fault Three Analysis (FTA)/Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) will be used to define critical failure modes of the PTO system and their influence on the structural loads. The fatigue analysis of the structural parts is performed using existing probabilistic reliability methods.

Measure in reality prototype performance of the digital hydraulic PTO which
Wavestar plans on implementing at their demonstrator test machine at Hanstholm. Sensors for measuring forces, pressures and accelerations will be implemented in the demonstrator, thereby enabling real investigations on the behaviour of the system and making further development possible.

Investigate new control strategies to maximize the power output of a highly
efficient PTO while the minimization of structural loads is taken into account. Relevant parameters such as PTO efficiency, motion and force constraints are included in the design. The strategies are to be implemented in the wave basin and ultimately in Wavestar test machine at Hanstholm.

The vision of MareFrame is to significantly increase the use of ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management (EAFM) when providing advice relating to European fish stocks. A more widespread use of EAFM is encouraged through development of new tools and technologies, development and extension of ecosystem models and assessment methods, and development of a decision support framework that can highlight alternatives and consequences. I addition, a widespread use of EAFM depends not only on collaboration with stakeholders in general, but on close integration and co-creation with stakeholders in all development phases, to ensure that ownership lies with them, and to increase the chance of acceptance and uptake of the project outcomes.

Globally, over 250 million barrels of water are produced daily from the oil and gas fields, and more than 40% of the produced water is discharged into the environment. As a consequence, a highly focused area for the Danish North-Sea oil field operators, as well as the authorities and public, is the content of oil in the produced water discharged to sea.

This project is to propose a software-based innovative Produced Water Treatment (PWT) solution by using the advanced plant-wide control methodology. This will be achieved through integration of an advanced Multiple Input and Multiple Output (MIMO) anti-slug control, which is developed based on a large process scope covering from the production wells over the 1st-stage inlet separators to the produced water treatment systems, where these systems are equipped with multiple manipulators and transmitters, with a coordinated separator (water) level control and pressure control of hydrocyclones, which are developed in an optimal cooperative manner.

The achieved solution will promote a completely new generation of PWT system in terms of better environmental protection, along with significantly improved production and reduced cost-vs-production ratio.

Socio-economic effects of the main management principles of the future Common Fishery Policy (CFP): impact of new policy framework and opportunities for the fishing sector to develop self- and co-management.

The Common Fisheries Policy is in a major reform process at the moment. The European Commission draws the conclusion in its analysis of the previous reform in 2002 (COM (2009) 163 final) that despite making some progress there are still many problems unresolved. On the positive side, the Commission lists better stakeholder involvement, phasing out direct capacity-enhancing subsidies and the introduction of long-term management plans. On the negative side the Commission identifies a deep-rooted problem of overcapacity, imprecise policy objectives, a framework that does not give sufficient responsibility to the industry, lack of compliance and a decision making system that encourages a focus on short-term management. We will analyze a range of available, emerging and possible new management measures to overcome these shortcomings of fisheries management, and will consider their implementation on a regional level.

Marine life makes a substantial contribution to the economy and society of Europe. VECTORS will elucidate the drivers, pressures and vectors that cause change in marine life, the mechanisms by which they do so, the impacts that they have on ecosystem structures and functioning, and on the economics of associated marine sectors and society. VECTORS will particularly focus on causes and consequences of invasive alien species, outbreak forming species, and changes in fish distribution and productivity. New and existing knowledge and insight will be synthesized and integrated to project changes in marine life, ecosystems and economies under future scenarios for adaptation and mitigation in the light of new technologies, fishing strategies and policy needs. VECTORS will evaluate current forms and mechanisms of marine governance in relation to the vectors of change. Based on its findings, VECTORS will provide solutions and tools for relevant stakeholders and policymakers, to be available for use during the lifetime of the project. The project will address a complex array of interests comprising areas of concern for marine life, biodiversity, sectoral interests, regional seas, and academic disciplines as well as the interests of stakeholders. VECTORS will ensure that the links and interactions between all these areas of interest are explored, explained, modeled and communicated effectively to the relevant stakeholders. The VECTORS consortium is extremely experienced and genuinely multidisciplinary. It includes a mixture of natural scientists with knowledge of socio-economic aspects, and social scientists (environmental economists, policy and governance analysts and environmental law specialists) with interests in natural system functioning.

For VECTORS, IFM researchers are focusing their research primarily on the Baltic and North Seas; theoretical work surrounds governance, stakeholder and sector interactions and input, and the cultural valuation of ecosystem services.

In Europe, coastal areas are great zones of settlement and play a vital role in the wealth of many nations. Over the past 50 years, the population living in European coastal municipalities has more than doubled and in 2001, it reached 70 million inhabitants. The total value of economic assets located within 500 meters of the European coastline was estimated at between € 500 and 1,000 billion in 2000. [THESEUS, 2010]

This PhD stipend is affiliated with the 4 year research project THESEUS (“Innovative technologies for safer European coasts in a changing climate”) funded by the European Commission (6.5 million Euro). The objective of the project is to study the application of innovative combined coastal mitigation and adaptation technologies generally aiming at delivering a safe (or low-risk) coast for human use/development and healthy coastal habitats as sea levels rise and climate changes (and the European economy continues to grow). The general aim of this PhD project is to develop and evaluate innovative methods for mitigation of flooding and coastal erosion hazard in the context of increasing storminess and sea level rise.

The PhD project will be related mainly to experimental testing of various innovative methods for improving the safety of European coasts in a changing climate. These methods will among others be upgrade of existing defences (dikes, breakwaters etc.) and reduction of wave energy at the coasts by utilization of wave energy converters placed offshore. Concerning the use of wave energy converters for coastal protection, an additional numerical study will be performed, where the numerical model is calibrated and validated against the experimental test-data. Thereby, it is possible to apply the evaluated wave energy converters at any shoreline. Moreover, the consequence of overtopping waves on dikes will be investigated in oblique- and short-crested waves which can be used to more realistically evaluate the consequence of sea water level rise.

In connection with the construction of the Nysted (Rødsand) offshore wind farm, an experimental study of the erosion protection around the turbine foundations has been carried out. The project has determined comparative erosion depths around different foundation types placed on sand. In addition, tests have been carried out with the proposed erosion protection. The project has been carried out for SEAS Distribution, the Wind Power Department and Carl Bro Anlæg A/S. (Peter Frigaard, Morten Kramer, Tue Hald).

When buoys are close together, the buoys will interact hydrodynamically. This means that if one buoy in the system is forced to move, the water around the buoy will be set in motion, which will affect the other buoys and thus also start to move. If the buoys are stationary but are affected by waves, the waves will be reflected and diffracted when they hit a buoy. This will cause a form of shadowing from the buoy on the leeward side of a buoy. The study deals with the calculation of these interactions and shadowing effects.

The efficiency of wave energy systems using floats depends largely on the geometric design of the floats. The geometry of the float, e.g. diameter, displacement and radii of curvature, gives rise to wave loads of different magnitudes. The study deals with the calculation of hydrodynamic loads for different float types with a view to optimizing the wave loads for wave energy utilization.

The Wave Star wave energy machine converts the energy of waves into electricity. Wave Star is under development and model tests are being carried out at Aalborg University. The tests are carried out with a view to optimising the efficiency in different wave conditions and mapping effects such as the orientation of the plant in relation to the waves. The tests are supplemented with computer calculations. The project is being carried out in collaboration with Wave Star Energy.

The purpose of the project is to analyze and develop models for describing the interaction of wind turbines and wind farms with other electricity production units and to analyze their properties with a view to power and frequency control and co-responsibility for system stability. Furthermore, the project will create a basis for assessing the limit for the share of wind energy in the Danish electricity system. The models will thus be able to analyze electricity systems with wind turbines, central power plants, combined heat and power units and energy storage, including the use of compensation units, etc. The project focuses on preparing the models from the transmission level, where in particular the expansion with large wind farms (onshore or offshore) and the problem of how the energy is to be transported to land from offshore farms (AC or DC transmission) are of interest. Through the project, models of the transmission network (AC and DC) with associated central combined heat and power units and loads and where the production from the decentralized combined heat and power plants is viewed from the transmission level will be built and implemented. Models of larger wind farms with different control strategies will be connected to this model. The models include and implement protection equipment and strategies for stability analysis. Wind farms with different generator/converter topologies are modeled and control strategies for power participation or frequency regulation on the grid are compared and optimized for production capability and/or stability conditions. The project is funded as a PSO project from Elkraft System and is being prepared by Birgitte Bak-Jensen, Zhe Chen and Hans Nielsen, Department of Energy Engineering, Aalborg University, Anca Hansen and Poul Sørensen, Risø, and Jesper Hjerrild, Elsam Engineering. In connection with the project, a Ph.D project is also being prepared by Akarin Suwannarat with the title Integration and control of wind farms in the Danish electricity system (see this).

WaveLab is a computer program for data collection and analysis in a wave laboratory. The focus is on the analysis of both long and short crested waves.

An experimental study of float design is carried out with scale 1:40 models. Through tests in a wave laboratory, horizontal and vertical wave forces are measured under different influences for a wide range of float types. Initially, the effect of the float geometry is measured for a restrained float. Subsequently, the effect of the float’s anchoring system is described where movements of the float under wave influence are possible.

AquaBuoy is a buoy that can convert energy in ocean waves into electricity. AquaBuOY consists of a 9m high float with a diameter of 6m, under which is fixed a 25m long vertical tube with an inner diameter of 4m. AquaBuOY is designed to have large vertical movements in relatively small buoys. By mounting a special hose pump inside the long vertical tube, the wave energy can be extracted by utilizing the differential movements between the vertical tube and the water column inside the tube. The project primarily deals with the design and dimensioning of the anchoring system. AquaBuOY is being developed in collaboration with AquaEnergy Group, USA and Rambøll. (Morten Kramer, Thomas Lykke Andersen, Peter Frigaard, Anders Augustesen.)

The project concerns consultancy in connection with the construction of a new wave laboratory in Naples, Italy. The Department of Water, Soil and Environmental Engineering comments on the design and supplies software for data analysis and control of the wave machines. The project has been carried out for the 2nd University of Naples, Italy. (Peter Frigaard, Palle Meinert, Thomas Lykke Andersen)

The project is a research-based analysis of the status and development potentials for the fish processing industry in Northern Jutland 2010-2025. The analysis provides updated descriptions of strengths and weaknesses in different segments of the fish processing industry. An integral part of the project is development processes in groups of processing industries, which will develop SWOT analysis and segment strategies. The project will present proposals and ideas of areas where the fish processing industry in Northern Jutland can base survival and development in the coming years.

The overall aim of the project is to deliver a set of fully-costed ecosystem management options that would deliver the objectives of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, the Habitats Directive, the European Commission Blue Book and the Guidelines for the Integrated Approach to Maritime Policy. This will be achieved by (i) providing a comprehensive knowledge base to support policy for the development of sustainable and integrated management of European marine ecosystems; (ii) developing Operational Objectives to achieve the High-Level Policy Objectives set by the Marine Strategy Framework Directive and the Habitats Directive, and with reference to the proposed Maritime Policy; (iii) identifying Management Options (individual management tools and combinations of tools) to meet the Operational Objectives; (iv) providing a risk assessment framework for the evaluation of Management Options and to assess the risk associated with the different options; (v) conducting a cost-benefit analysis of a range of Management Options using appropriate techniques; (vi) identifying stakeholder opinions on the creation of governance structures directed towards implementation of the ecosystem approach, and elaborating different scenarios for changing governance structures and legislation to facilitate a gradual transition from the current fragmented management approach towards fully integrated ecosystem management; (vii) documenting the steps necessary for the transition from the current fragmented management scheme to a mature and integrated approach, and providing a toolkit that could be used to evaluate options for delivering ecosystem-based management; and (viii) communicating and consulting on the outcomes of the project effectively with policy makers and other relevant user groups.

The general aim of the PhD project is to develop and evaluate innovative methods for mitigation of flooding and coastal erosion hazard in the context of increasing storminess and sea level rise. The PhD project will be related mainly to experimental testing of various innovative methods for improving the safety of European coasts in a changing climate. These methods will among others be upgrade of existing defenses (dikes, breakwaters etc.) and reduction of wave energy at the coasts by utilization of wave energy converters placed near-shore.

This project will from the social sciences contribute to the establishment of a unique scientific network integrating natural and social sciences and thus improve the understanding of the marine ecosystem off West Greenland and the implications of climate change for the structure and functioning of the ecosystem by: 1) Identifying and describing the main social, economic and institutional drivers behind environmentally significant human behaviors with special emphasis on fishing and 2) Identifying and describing the existing environmental governance institutions and those social interactions that contribute or detract from effective governance of the fisheries resources off West Greenland.

Project goals:

Develop the knowledge of discarding patterns and factors in European fisheries

Evaluate the effectiveness of selective devices and other discard management measures that have been implemented in the past.

Improve methods to analyze, monitor, and manage bycatch and discarding in European fisheries.

Since the reform of the EU Common Fisheries Policy in 2002, effort has been devoted to addressing the governance, scientific, social and economic issues required to introduce an ecosystem approach to European marine fisheries.

Fisheries management needs to support the ‘three pillars of sustainability’ (ecological, social and economic). Fisheries Ecosystem Plans (FEPs) were developed to further the ecosystem approach in fisheries management and as a tool to assist managers consider the ecological, social and economic implications of their decisions. The FP5-funded European Fisheries Ecosystem Plan (EFEP) project developed a FEP for European waters, using the North Sea as a case study.

The core concept of the Making the European Fisheries Ecosystem Plan Operational (MEFEPO) project is the delivery of an operational framework for three regional seas. This is the necessary next step in the process. Furthermore, MEFEPO will, based on the lessons learned, consider how FEPs can be made operational and developed for other regional areas. MEFEPO will focus on how best to make current institutional frameworks responsive to an ecosystem approach to fisheries management at regional and pan-European levels in accordance with the principles of good governance. This will involve developing new linkages and means of allowing dialogue between the disparate groups of stakeholders, the integration of the considerable body of ecological, fisheries, social and economic research which has been developed in recent years and investigate how existing institutional frameworks need to evolve to incorporate this information and develop both dialogue between the disparate groups of marine stakeholders and develop a decision-making process which integrates a wide breadth of interests. The three areas used by MEFEPO will be the North Sea RAC, North-western Waters RAC and South-western Waters RAC areas.

In an effort to minimize the costs of offshore wind parks, the present research deals with optimizing a certain aspect of the support structure, namely the approach to scour. Scour is the phenomenon of seabed changes in the vicinity of the support structure that arises when the support structure disturbs the local flow sufficiently much. Scour is particularly evasive because in case of current, the flow disturbance can be intense and dig a hole comparable to the horizontal extent of the support structure. This usually implies a considerable loss of stiffness, ultimate strength or lifetime of the support and super structure. In case of waves, however, the flow disturbance can be much weaker and even backfill the hole with soil. The ability to accurately forecast this development of the geometry of the scour hole becomes central for obtaining both a safe and cost-effective solution. In practice, scour forecasts facilitate the comparison between a scour design based on either deployment of scour-protection or enhanced structural design. The broad goal is to develop a method that produces accurate scour forecasts for offshore wind parks. The present research investigates more specifically which parameters are suitable for characterizing the scour geometry during both scouring and backfilling and how the parameters develop in time for a given sea state. The present research is restricted to treat a monopile in sand since this is a common and potentially cost-saving case.

The Code of Conduct project focuses on development of codes of conduct for sustainable and responsible fisheries in Denmark. Codes of conduct for sustainable fisheries at general level (UN and EU) already exist. The project intends to integrate market and management interests in a process where fishermen formulate the specific code of conduct for their fishery. By analysing expectations and demands regarding sustainable and responsible fisheries from public management and from central market actors such as large European supermarket chains, the project will provide the fishermen with information of usefulness of a code of conduct: Can the code be a tool for fishermen to “take back responsibility” in management, and can it support attempts to get a higher value out of the catch? The general framework for codes of conduct and a specific code of conduct for the pelagic fishery will be formulated in interaction with the fishermen and their organisations.

The project consists of four phases: 1) Analysis of trends in demands and expectations to sustainable fishery from central market interests and the management system. 2) Development of a general framework for codes of conduct within Danish fisheries. This will be discussed with representatives from the catch and processing sectors as well as management. 3) Development of a specific code of conduct for sustainable and responsible fisheries within the Danish pelagic fishery. In this phase the project team will help fishermen from the sector and the Danish Pelagic Producer Organisation formulating their own code of conduct. 4) Communication of the experiences from the project through a conference, articles and a folder with guidelines for a framework of codes of conduct for sustainable and responsible fisheries and for how to involve the fishermen in the specific fishery.

ITAC focuses on administrative arrangements to restrict and monitor fishing mortality. The aim is not only to describe regulatory arrangements, but to offer an understanding of how these systems function as wholes and why they have attained their present forms. An understanding of the management systems does not only require knowledge of the various institutions, but an understanding of how they are woven together – how they mutually restrict and shape each other. The main research question is: how and under which conditions can regulations aimed to restrict fishing mortality be successfully implemented at the administrative level?

The project will undertake four case studies divided on three different types of regulation schemes: 1) Direct catch regulation (Norwegian cod fisheries), 2) Capacity utilization (The Faroe Island demersal fishery) and 3) Indirect catch regulation (The North Sea cod recovery plan – having a Danish perspective & Recovery plans in Galicia).

Coordinator: Norwegian Agricultural Economics Research Institute (NILF)

The goal of the project is to significantly strengthen the scientific basis for the wind power industry in general and specifically the Danish wind power industry’s position in offshore applications.

To meet the goal the proposed research must have a significant potential for reduction of cost of energy from large offshore wind farms, and for contributing to reduction of the economic risks arising from inadequately founded design.

The key design driver for most offshore structures is safety. For offshore wind turbines/farms, however, the main design driver is economy and therefore there is a strong requirement for enhancing design tools and avoiding conservatism. Consequently, focus is on the following issues:

1. Mutual shadow effect between large blocks of wind turbines – ignorance of the effect may have disastrous consequences for the economy.
2. Extreme structural loading of offshore wind turbines – detailed understanding and description of extreme winds and gusts and resulting loads is crucial for the safety and economics of the wind turbines.
3. Interaction of large wind farms with waves and current – understanding and modeling may lead to reduced design loads on wind turbine units placed in the downwind end of the wind farms.
4. Grid connection and reliability – An unreliable grid caused by high wind energy penetration is an obvious barrier for the dissemination of the technology.
5. Optimized operation and maintenance for offshore wind farms – presently more than a third of the cost of energy from offshore wind farms relates to O&M and the potential for reductions is therefore large.

The project is sponsored by The strategic Research council and have participant from Risø National Laboratory, Elsam Engineering, Insitut for Mekanik, Energi og Konstruktion DTU, DHI, Svend Ole Hansen and Institute of Energy Technology AAU.

The institute of Energy Technology is especially involved in issue 4 in this project, by Birgitte Bak-Jensen, and also a Ph.D project is set up together with Risø and Elsam Engineering, with the title: Offshore Wind Power – Grid Connection and Reliability, see this project.

This Ph.D. project is carried out at Dong Energy in cooperation with Risø National Laboratory and Aalborg University.

The aim of the PhD project is to investigate the influence of wind generation on the reliability of power systems. This task is particularly important for large offshore wind installations, because failure of a large wind farm will have significant influence on the balance in the power system, and because offshore sites are normally more difficult to access than onshore installations. The reliability of power production from a wind farm depends on wind speed conditions, the wind turbines themselves, the system layout and the grid connection; besides, the offshore environment poses new challenges to face for the installers.

The project has been divided into three parts. Firstly, a model for yearly generation assessment of offshore wind farms has been developed: this model includes wind speed randomness and variability, components (e.g. wind turbines, internal cables and connectors to shore) failures, influence of site environment and some minor aspects of relevance. Secondly, this model has been used for evaluating the so-called HLI analysis (Hierarchical Level I), where the system adequacy to supply the load is assessed. The power system under study includes conventional power plants, an aggregated load and distributed generation together with offshore wind generation, whereas transmission facilities are neglected in this type of simulation. These two assessments are performed considering a sequential Monte Carlo simulation: this approach has shown more flexibility and completeness in the analysis of wind generation than analytical techniques.

With these two models, that are currently available, some sensitivity analyses will be carried out in the next months. Besides, some of the models will be used for performing an HLII analysis: in this type of study, the transmission facilities are included in the power system model and the adequacy of the system generation is evaluated including the availability of transmission lines and cables.

All analyses in the project are carried out by the use of the software Matlab and the power system analysis tool Power Factory from DigSILENT: simulations will include steady-state conditions as well as dedicated reliability analyses.

The overall objectives of the project were to identify and understand specific shortcomings in the European fisheries policy and its implementation, which have contributed to the problems evident in several European fisheries, and to devise means for their rectification. The project focused on the knowledge production and decision-making within the fisheries management system, the interrelationships between these processes and the role played by stakeholders.

The overall objective of this project was to address the poor understanding of the links between management tools, fleet developments and the pressure exerted on fishing communities, and more precisely to supply fisheries managers with a modelling tool that will allow them evaluating the impact of regulations on the dynamics of fleets and fishing mortality.

A more and more widespread way to protect the coast against ongoing erosion is to build so-called Low Crested Structures (LCSs). Despite a large number of coast parallel LCSs exist, the structural performance of these structures are not fully clarified. The LCSs dealt with are coast parallel detached rubble mound structures, either emerging slightly above the water surface or somewhat submerged like a reef.

Initially results of a study of the geometry of existing LCSs are presented. The geometry and structural performance of existing LCSs form the basis of the limits for new design equations. New improved design formulas for calculation of static stability of LCSs are developed on the basis of new 2D and 3D laboratory experiments with scale models. The formulas are specially designed for breakwaters subject to shallow water waves and/or depth limited waves, as the majority of existing LCSs are exposed to such conditions. The formulas are validated against prototype experience. Ecological aspects in relation to structural stability are important, and design guidance on how to consider ecology in the design is therefore given. The new design guidance adds practical and helpful knowledge to the toolbox of the designing engineer.

The focus of the project is governance in fisheries with special emphasis on the role of management institutions in the decision-making process and the conditions under which management institutions work effectively and cost-efficiently. Associated questions of participation and representation of interests in fishery management, levels of decision‑making, factors influencing compliance/ non‑compliance behaviour, legitimacy and what is considered a valid knowledge base for management will be addressed by focusing on the following five research questions:

User-groups or broader stakeholder involvement – how are stakeholder interests voiced and mediated in management institutions?
The rationality of fisheries management – what is the overall rationality of the management institutions in terms of managing society’s utilisation of its natural resource base and sharing access for interest groups?
The cost-effectiveness of fisheries management – how are transaction costs reflected in the design of management institutions?
The embeddedness of management institutions – to what extent are management institutions consistent and integrated with the cultural and social references of user and stakeholder groups?
The cognitive basis for management – how is knowledge about the resource system and other systems (e.g. the policy system) generated and used in management institutions, and what constitutes the social validity of such knowledge?

The research will eventually lead to submission of an anthology entitled: “Governance in fisheries – an institutional approach to management of fisheries” undertaking a structured analysis of the 5 research issues mentioned above. The aim is to disseminate the results to both the scientific community and policy‑makers in order to improve the performance of fisheries management systems in both developed and developing countries.

The objective of the project was to improve our understanding of the information needs and appropriate institutional structures for fisheries management in developing countries by making a comparative analysis of three cases in South East Asia (one in Laos and two in Vietnam) and four cases in Southern Africa (Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia and South Africa).

The recent IMO Resolution MSC 19(58) points towards a more rational way of obtaining subdivisions in ships to ensure a sufficient stability in damage conditions. In the preliminary ship design phase it is important to know how the attained index and the possible oil outflow in a collision are influenced by the actual positions of the watertight bulkheads. This information should be given in form of sensitivity factors yielding the change in attained index and oil outflow for a unit reposition of user-defined bulkheads. A rational procedure to achieve this information is
developed.

The flow over ship propellers is under investigation. In particular propellers of unconventional geometry such as tip-fin propellers are being investigated, in particular with a view to improve efficiency and limit noise and vibration impacts. A comparative study of a tip-fin propeller and a conventional propeller is being carried out. Both propellers are designed for the same ship and the same service conditions. The examination is made theoretically as well as experimentally. The experiments include open water, self propulsion and cavitation tests.

Methods for predicting stochastic wave load responses in ships and offshore structures are developed. The methods
take into account the dynamic behaviour of the structures and at least some of the non-linearities in the wave induced
loadings. Numerical results obtained for actual structures are presented with special emphasis on their usefulness in
design procedures covering both extreme responses and fatigue damage predictions.

This project aims at ananlyzing and improving methods and standards for designing information visualization, interfaces and human-machine systems for both existing and advanced ships.

The goal of AMARIS is to conduct a theory-driven and in-depth study of maritime security in Ghana. It investigates the manifestations of maritime crime in the country (work package 1), the governance responses to maritime security that have developed in the past twenty year (work package 2), and the capacity building assistance that is carried out in the country by international partners (work package 3).