Wave Goodbye to Diesel WGTD
About
The ‘Wave Goodbye to Diesel’ (WGtD) project offers a realistic cost-effective pathway to decarbonise the aquaculture sector using renewable energy. The ‘Gator System’ integrates into the existing mooring lines of the feed barge, harnessing the power of the waves. At its heart is a novel, innovative, polymer spring that pumps pressurised seawater. This pressurised water is pumped through a conventional hydro-electric turbine, producing electricity which is stored and distributed through an onboard micro-grid battery storage unit. Such an approach is especially suited to Irish salmon farm locations which are situated in high wave energy locations.
Exceedence and Technology from Ideas Marine (TFI Marine) are teaming up with MOWI Ireland, to support their decarbonisation ambitions by 2030. This Industrial research project, funded by SEAI, will apply the learnings from previous research to scale the system to a +10kW Gator System suitable for feed barge decarbonisation.
The 10kW Gator System for Feed Barges
A visual representation of a 10kW Gator system integrated onto a feed barge is shown in the image to the left. The two yellow cylindrical shapes shows the inline installation of two Gator pumps into the mooring lines, which are then connected to a micro-hydropower turbine converting the pumped water into electricity. The hydro components are kept separate from the power electronics and battery storage, which will allow for installations across a wide range of feed barge shapes and sizes.
Project Objectives
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Develop an Innovative 10kW Gator
- A 10kW scale Gator System is being developed for feed barges, which will sit within the existing footprint. It will integrate into the existing onboard energy system and convert the mooring line tension into power for the feed barge.
- It will be built around a Turbo micro-hydro turbine and a novel controllable needle valve
- A control system for the 10kW Gator system is also being developed and tested
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Wave Energy Decarbonisation Solution
- A 10kW Gator System is being designed that will be suitable for integration into a MOWI feed barge to replace diesel generation with renewable energy
- The Gator System solution will be deployed during the project on a MOWI feed barge at a target aquaculture site where the system can be optimized
- The Gator System solution will demonstrate a greater than 50% feed barge CO₂ reduction and a greater than 10,000kWh of power production over a 3-month period
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Engage Stakeholders on the Benefits
- The project team will be engaging with relevant stakeholders throughout the project during key milestones.
- Prove that the Gator System feed barge solution can meet the challenging aquaculture standards by completing a Technology Assessment and Qualification Plan for Norwegian Standard NS9415
- A Dashboard is being developed that will allow operators and stakeholders to remotely monitor the Gator System KPI’s, including:
- Energy Generated; Diesel Offset; Carbon Offset; Food Waste Saved
- Publish the results of the project at key trade shows, through articles and on the website.
Project Team
TFI Marine’s core business is developing polymer technology for the marine market. We are an Irish SME with a multidisciplinary team of physicists and engineers who have world class expertise in the use of polymers for load reduction in the marine environment. We have developed a range of polymer component solutions including large elastomers designed for high fatigue life applications, and polymer spring components, which enable us to deliver a tailored force response into any mooring line, reducing the loads experienced.
Our ambition is to make our polymer based mooring system the first choice for companies within aquaculture, ocean energy, aids to navigation and oil & gas industries. We are focused on bringing durable, cost-effective and efficient solutions to the commercial mooring market. TFI Marine is aiming to deliver the next generation mooring systems that will challenge the current industry on performance.
TFI Marine have a multi-disciplinary team with broad technical, industrial, management and marketing expertise. We bring rigorous technical and marine technology development skills to the WGtD project, as well as the core technology concept and polymer knowhow. TFI Marine are responsible for the design of the Gator for an onsite feed barge, the build and testing of the Gator system, as well as the tasks associated with validating the decarbonisation of a feed barge.
Mowi Ireland are a subsidiary of Mowi International, the world’s leading seafood company and the global leader in salmon farming. Mowi Ireland are leading the Blue Revolution with innovation and sustainable development and are the world’s leading supplier of farm-raised Organic salmon.
The reduction and elimination of the use of fossil fuels within Irish aquaculture is seen as a top priority by the sector. Mowi Ireland have set targets of relegating their diesel generation at sea to back-up status only, by 2030.
They are an enthusiastic collaborator and supporter in the ‘Wave Goodbye to Diesel’ (WGtD) project, as it offers a realistic cost-effective pathway to this goal. MOWI is providing access to significant marine operational assets for no cost to the project. These assets will be used for the deployment operations, Mowi will also provide the access required to the feed barge, which will act as the marine test bed for the project.
Exceedence Ltd. are an established Irish software and services company that are experts in financial modelling and analysis of renewable energy technologies and projects. We develop and sell licenses to a cloud-based software platform which assimilates technical and cost information into financial digital twins. Our solution empowers users to create actionable insights based on financial KPIs, allowing users to optimise LCOE, bid prices, margins and other KPIs.
We provide services that connect technology with commercial opportunities including techno-financial modelling, sensitivity analysis, supporting design optimisation, decisions on go/no go, identifying key cost drivers and cost reduction pathways, demonstrating LCOE reductions due to project innovations, partnership landscaping, and support on route to market analysis.
Exceedence bring their expertise and track record in technology development of wave energy systems to the WGtD project. We are providing leadership, project management, communication and dissemination, along with cost, carbon offsetting and other KPI metric modelling and analysis. An operational dashboard will be built to transparently demonstrate KPIs to showcase the system as an enabling backbone for power and communications, catalysing other instrumentation and digitalisation possibilities.
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