A project of the National Institute of Ocean Research (INPO) envisages the creation of the Thematic Center for Renewable Energy in the Ocean – Blue Energy. Thanks to it, four technologies will be developed to produce renewable energy offshore (on the high seas): wave energy conversion, tidal currents, ocean thermal gradient (OTEC) and green hydrogen production.
To put the project into practice, the institute recently obtained a public notice from the Financier of Studies and Projects (Finep) worth approximately 15 million reais.
According to INPO, the solutions have industrial application and can reduce emissions in hard-to-reduce sectors, including oil and gas platforms, fertilizer, steel, transportation and cement. Floating units that currently use natural gas-fired turbines, for example, will be able to replace part of the production with clean sources produced in the ocean.
- Innovations focus on greenhouse gas reduction and adaptation
- Economic dependence on oil challenges the pace of the energy transition
INPO Director General Segen Estefen reinforces the strategic potential of the initiative. “The availability of renewable resources in the ocean and Brazil’s experience in offshore activities are important differentiators. We can transform the ocean into a strategic ally in the energy transition, producing electricity, hydrogen and desalinated water in a sustainable way,” he says.
Of the total invested, BRL 4.3 million will be allocated to research scholarships for master’s, doctoral and postdoctoral students in partnership with four universities: Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Federal University of Pará (UFPA), Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE) and Fundação Getúlio Vargas (FGV). The measure aims to strengthen the training of specialists and expand the production of ocean energy knowledge in the country.
Another front of the project physically simulates hydrogen production from offshore wind power, using desalinated seawater for electrolysis (conversion of electrical energy into chemical energy).
The technology, according to INPO, seeks to solve the problem of intermittency in wind production, allows energy to be stored in the form of hydrogen and guarantees the stability of the electricity system.
Today, around 250 gigawatts of offshore wind projects are licensed by the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama). If just 20% were deployed, Brazil’s power matrix could gain an additional 50 gigawatts, or nearly a quarter of current national capacity. The turbine intended to exploit tidal currents will be able to operate both in the ocean and in continuous flow rivers.
“Even small turbines can achieve high installed capacity. This helps bring clean, continuous energy to isolated communities, solving a historic problem of access to electricity,” explains Estefen.
The project also provides for the development of four pieces of equipment: a wave converter, an Otec system based on the ammonia Rankine cycle, an offshore hydrogen production module and a tidal current turbine.
Each technology will be designed, built and tested in the laboratory and in an operational environment, resulting in pilot projects ready for installation at sea.
Estefen also said that the Blue Energy Center will be decisive in raising the level of technological maturity of the solutions.
“Offshore renewables are currently in the pre-commercial phase, which requires advances in Technology Readiness Levels (TRL). The Energy Center will act precisely in this intermediate stage, enabling proof of concept and detailing of projects for large-scale application. At the end of the project, for each technology, the delivery of a respective pilot project for offshore installation is envisaged, a step that paves the way for large-scale commercial applications”, concludes the Managing Director.