MUSICA Makes Key Contribution to International Energy Agency Publication

MUSICA Makes Key Contribution to International Energy Agency Publication

By Graham UCC on October 15, 2021 in MUSICA News Articles, Press Release

The International Energy Agency’s (IEA) Technology Collaboration programme on Ocean Energy Systems (OES) recently published in-depth interviews with six key players in the ocean energy sector, including MUSICA Project Coordinator Dr Gordon Dalton.

This publication is the second one of a series of interviews on projects and initiatives on prospective market opportunities for ocean energy in several parts of the world.

In the interview, Dr Dalton, Senior research fellow at PLOCAN in the Canary Islands, and coordinator of MARIBE and MUSICA European funded projects, responds to whether multiple-use of space or multi-use platforms can have viable economic futures.

Commenting on these six interviews, Yann-Hervé, Chairman of the IEA-OES said, “We see in these examples that ocean energy technologies can be an attractive option for different energy markets within the Blue Economy, which needs to be fully compatible with the energy transition. It is important to consider how appropriate policies in regulation, licensing and financing can support their adoption.

“Stakeholder interviews conducted by IEA-OES show that small islands present a compelling argument for the exploitation of their ocean energy resource potential, and the importance of engaging local communities and local authorities in a dialogue that highlights these projects as a platform for job creation and social improvement. Energy problems faced by many islands and coastal regions can be solved by harnessing the available renewable energy resources of the sun, wind and ocean to supply electricity and freshwater. The idea of multi-use of the sea can be an efficient allocation of compatible activities in the same ocean space providing socioeconomic and environmental benefits.”

Dr Dalton said of MUSICA’s participation in the IEA brochure, “We are pleased to be able to participate in this publication and expand in detail upon the goals of the MUSICA Project. The challenges faced by Island and coastal communities in terms of energy sources requires innovative approaches and we believe MUSICA offers one such solution that will allow an effective transition to clean and renewable energy sources. We welcomed the opportunity to participate with the IEA project whose aim is to provide an understanding of the potential of ocean energy to co-locate with aquaculture and to supply energy for the sector.”

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About MUSICA

MUSICA, which stands for “Multiple Use of Space for Island Clean Autonomy”, is a recent European-funded project, coordinated by Oceanic Platform of the Canary Islands (PLOCAN). The project is seeking to accelerate the roadmap to commercialisation of a combination of Multi-Use Platform (MUP) and Multi-use of Space (MUS) for the small island market. The Greek island of Oinousses was selected as a trial for this multipurpose floating offshore platform.

MUSICA will provide a full suite of Blue Growth solutions including:

  • Three forms of renewable energy (RE) (wind, PV and wave), providing high RES penetration and competitively affordable electricity.
  • Innovative energy storage systems on the MUP, will provide all required storage for power on the island and platform, as well as electrical output smoothening (compressed air storage and batteries).
  • Smart energy system for the island, including: demand response, modelling and forecasting based on high flexibility services from distributed generation.
  • Desalinated water made by desalination unit on the MUP powered by RES providing 1000m3 fresh water for a water stressed island.
  • “Green” support services for island’s aquaculture production.

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 15/10/2021

Contact Name: Graham Lynch

Project: MUSICA

Email: grahamlynch@ucc.ie

PLOCAN takes over coordination of EU funded projects GRRIP and MUSICA

PLOCAN takes over coordination of EU funded projects GRRIP and MUSICA

By Graham UCC on October 7, 2021 in MUSICA News Articles, Press Release

The Oceanic Platform of the Canary Islands (PLOCAN) has been confirmed as the new coordinator of two leading European research projects.

MUSICA (Multiple-use-of Space for Island Clean Autonomy) and GRRIP (Grounding RRI Practices in Research Performing Organisations in Marine and Maritime) are both funded under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 programme.

In assuming the new coordinator role PLOCAN will be required to guide the projects through their respective periodic review processes to ensure they meet the requirements set out in the European Commission’s Grant Agreements. MUSICA has recently entered the second of its five phases, with GRRIP entering its third and final reporting period.

In addition to the new coordinator role at the MUSICA project, PLOCAN are leading the testing, monitoring, operation and maintenance of the multi-use platform on Oinnouses. PLOCAN will also contribute to the replicability plans and feasibility studies of the solution on Gran Canaria Island (Spain).

PLOCAN is also one of five Marine and Maritime (M&M) research performing organisations (RPO) in GRRIP. The aim of GRRIP is to embed Responsible Research & Innovation (RRI) in their governance frameworks, structures and cultures.

Dr Ayoze Castro, Head of the Innovation Unit at PLOCAN said, “We are immensely proud and excited to be taking on the role of coordinator for these two important and ambitious projects. MUSICA will represent one of the very first multipurpose offshore platforms in Europe. We fully believe that MUSICA is the logical follow-on from previous MUP projects and is the best route to commercialisation of the MUP/ MUS concept, balancing operator and investor risk, and acceleration of progress.

“With regards to GRRIP, we are of the opinion that this project represents a key milestone in the development of Responsible Research and Innovation in the fields of Marine Sciences. While there has been significant work done on the concept of RRI by EU projects over the past 20 years, many of the projects relating to institutional change for RPO&RFOs have typically focused on one of the five keys individually. GRRIP’s emphasis on the aim of grounding RRI practices in the RPO&RFOs themselves as part of an integrated approach makes it a unique and important project.”

Dr Gordon Dalton, from Ireland, has taken up the post of coordinator for the two projects. Dr Dalton brings with him the expertise of past coordination of two previous Horizon 2020 projects. Speaking on his new post, Dr Dalton, says, “I am very excited to take up the coordinator role for these two projects, and I’m keen to maximize the exploitation opportunities for PLOCAN and the Canary Island.

“I am determined to build and deploy multi-use platform technology in Gran Canaria, bringing construction and installation jobs for the region. Multiuse platforms will advance the Canary islands journey in sustainability, bringing green electricity and fresh water to the islands. The principles from the GRRIP project will ensure that exploitation of the MUSICA project will be both responsible and innovative for the Canary Islands.”

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About PLOCAN

The Oceanic Platform of the Canary Islands (PLOCAN) is a multipurpose service centre with land-based and novel sea-based infrastructures to support research, technology development and innovation in the marine and maritime sectors. Its mission is to promote long-term observation and sustainability of the ocean, providing a cost-effective combination of services, such as an ocean observatory, a marine test site, a base for underwater vehicles, training and an innovation hub.

PLOCAN is a joint initiative of the Spanish and the Canary Islands governments, with the contribution of the European Regional Development Fund, and is included in the Spanish Map of Unique Scientific and Technical Infrastructures (ICTS). PLOCAN is configured as a Test Site where projects focused on testing and demonstrating maritime technologies so contributing to increase their technology readiness level (TRL) and speeding up market uptake.

PLOCAN’s staff and management team have both an extensive experience in the preparation, implementation, and management of large projects in the marine and maritime sectors. Since 2009 they have participated in more than 90 national and EU funded projects both as coordinators and partners.

https://www.plocan.eu/en/

 

About GRRIP                                                                                                                     

The GRRIP Project (Grant Agreements 820283) is committed to creating a sustainable, growing and proactive marine and maritime RRI community. GRRIP will embed sustainable RRI practices in 4 research performing organisations (RPO) and 1 dual-function RPO and research funding organisation (RPO/RFO) (total 5 RPO & RFO) in the marine and maritime sectors to achieve institutional and cultural change.

The project has 5 case studies in five countries: PLOCAN (Las Palmas, Canary Islands), MaREI (Cork, Ireland), Swansea University (Swansea, Wales, UK), WavEC (Lisbon, Portugal) and Centrale Nantes (Nantes, France).

https://grrip.eu/

 

About MUSICA                                                                      

The MUSICA project (Grant Agreements 862252) aims to create a one-stop trial solution to address the energy problems faced by many islands and coastal regions. MUSICA’s Multi-Use Platform will reduce the need for importing expensive and harmful fossil fuels by harnessing the available renewable energy resources of the sun, wind and waves to produce an autonomous, readily available supply of electricity and fresh water.

MUSICA is a consortium comprised of 15 partner organisations; University College Cork (Coordinator), Heriot-Watt University, University of the Aegean, Municipality of Chios, University of Malta, Coral Ltd, International Consortium of Research Staff Associations, Network of Sustainable Greek Islands, Platforma Oceania de Canarias, Innosea, Aquabiotech Ltd, NeoDyne Ltd, SinnPower Gmbh, INSB Class International Classification Society, Forkys

https://musica-project.eu/

 

For more information:

Contact: Graham Lynch, GRRIP / MUSICA Dissemination & Communications Officer

Email: grahamlynch@ucc.ie

Technical Aspects in the MUSICA Project

Technical Aspects in the MUSICA Project

By SalM on November 22, 2020 in MUSICA News Articles, Press Release

Neodyne has a large role in the design and development of the MUSICA platform. Peter from Neodyne explains details about their task of combining all the systems into one.

MUP holds Wind Turbines that are using their blades to capture wind force. They are made of very light and resilient materials and this is why they can produce energy at very low wind speeds. The blades are connected to a generator that converts wind’s kinetic energy to electricity. Further, there is a transformer that converts electricity into a usuable voltage. The sun emits energy in the forms of waves in length from short ultraviolet to long infrared waves. When the sun is shining the waves hit the surface of the solar cells. Some waves pass through the cells and some are reflected back. But a significant portion of waves are absorbed which in turn current flow. Solar cell produces just a couple of wats but combaining hundreds produce signifcant power output. The aquaculture unit is an autnomous fish farm which has an scheduled feeding process and monitoring system that ensures that fish are healthy. Desalination plant will produce fresh portable water using renewable energy. It puts sea water through the water to remove the salt.

About the partner

NeoDyne Ltd. is an Irish company founded in 1998 employing over 100 automation, electrical, instrument, business systems and validation engineers and specialists. Our business is structured as three specialisations, namely: System Integration, Power Generation & Utilities, Transmission & Distribution They supply the Pharmaceutical, Food, Beverage, Natural Gas, Oil, Electricity and Mining industries. Our key markets are for robust applications requiring innovation, very high reliability, long life and specialised know-how involving critical utilities with zero interruption tolerance. This company offers Control, Automation, Industrial Plant Information and Electrical Engineering solutions, services and systems integration. Our team is experienced in PLC, SCADA, Failsafe and Fault-tolerant PLC, DCS, BMS, Safety Systems, Industrial Data Processing, Fermenters, Chromatography Purification Systems, Sterilisers, Sterile Filling Lines, Lyophilisers, Validation, Compliance, Communications, Medium and Low Voltage, Standby and CoGen Power Generation, Gas Turbines, Diesels, Boilers, Burner Management, Natural Gas Transmission and Distribution, ESD, Fire & Gas, Fire Alarms, Fire and Explosion Suppression, Fiscal Metering of Gas and Electricity, Cathodic Protection, ATEX Compliance, Cooling Towers and Refrigeration, Softening, DIW and WFI Water Plant, Waste Water and general industrial utilities.

 

For further information please contact Graham Lynch (Project Dissemination & Communications Officer) at grahamlynch@ucc.ie.

MUSICA is extremely important to the local community and economy

MUSICA is extremely important to the local community and economy

By SalM on October 26, 2020 in MUSICA News Articles, Press Release

Last week MUSICA project organised the public engagement sessions (October 14, 2020) on developing a unique Multi-Use Platform on Oinousses that will generate electricity from the wind, waves and sun to boost local energy supply, and also produce desalinated water.

During the visit to Greece and the islands of Oinousses and Chios, after successfully organised workshops, prof. dr. Gordon Dalton, coordinator of MUSICA Project along with prof. dr. Nikitas Nikitakos visited the rector of the University of the Aegean, professor Chryssi Vitsilaki, in Lesvos, last Friday (October 16, 2020).

Dr. Dalton presented that the innovative MUSICA Project team is developing a ‘Multi-Use Platform’ that will generate electricity, produce enough desalinated water to meet the daily needs of the island and establish a fish farm.

“The Multi-Use Platform makes use of available energy resources; offers related job opportunities, and saves costs by combining activities in one space-efficient package”, said Dr. Dalton.

Prof. Chryssi Vitsilaki expressed that she is extremely proud that the University of the Aegean is a partner in the MUSICA project.

“This is one of the biggest infrastructure projects and it is extremely important to the local stakeholder community and the future economy”, explained prof. Vitsilaki.

Discussion continued about the two other Horizon2020 projects that Dr. Dalton also coordinates, RRING and GRRIP Project. “RRING (Responsible Research and Innovation Networked Globally) project seeks to make research and innovation systems everywhere more responsible, inclusive, efficient and responsive as an integral part of society and economy, and GRRIP is working on embedding sustainable Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI practices) in the marine and maritime research organisations to achieve institutional and cultural change”, explained prof. dr. Dalton.

Since she promoted gender equality and RRI in the university for over a decade, prof. Chryssi Vitsilaki had a great interest in these projects.

“I would be very keen for future collaboration projects between the coordinator from University College Cork, University of the Aegean and MUSICA partners”, concluded prof. Chryssi Vitsilaki at the end of the meeting.

 

For further information please contact Graham Lynch (Project Dissemination & Communications Officer) at grahamlynch@ucc.ie.

Multi-Use platform construction phase to pilot demo stages

Multi-Use platform construction phase to pilot demo stages

By SalM on October 10, 2020 in MUSICA News Articles, Press Release

In crowded seas such as those around the European Union – including, for example, the Baltic Sea, the North Sea and the Mediterranean – pressures on the environment are building and space is at a premium. One idea that has been put forward to make more efficient use of the seas and minimise the footprint of human activities is offshore platforms that combine multiple uses. n principle, platforms offer efficiencies, such as maximising the amount of energy generated from one platform if different energy generation methods are used, while minimising the amount of space taken up and saving on operational and maintenance costs.

Ayoze Castro, Innovation Manager at PLOCAN talks about it’s role in the development of the Multi-Use Platform and MUSICA project. PLOCAN was created in 2007 as a public consortium between National Government of  Spain and regional Government of Canary Islands. It has been included as part of Spanish network of unique technical infrastructure in order to exploit certain competitive advantages of the region. The final goal is to be closer to the companies and the productive market to try to support innovation requirements rather than to produce basic research.

PLOCAN has land-based and naval(sea)-based facilities to support development in marine & maritime sectors. Main facility includes a dedicated marine test site, fixed off shore platform acting as ocean laboratory and coastal open ocean observatory. With this main structures they offer natural services of hosting new prototypes and technologies for conducting validation and demonstration test in real environment. PLOCAN is a governmental body that facilitates and accelerates all the operations and logistics of construction and deployment of prototypes. In particular speeding up the authorizations and permits. PLOCAN offers professional capacities with land-based facilities, specialized training programs and robust network to ensure bilateral communication between land and sea.

About the partner

The Oceanic Platform of the Canary Islands (PLOCAN) is a Research Infrastructure (RI) labeled by the ICTS (Unique Scientific and Technological Infrastructure) Spanish National Roadmap, co-funded by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities of the Spanish government and the Canary Islands government and by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) under the Operational Programme of the Canary Islands. PLOCAN is a multipurpose technical-scientific service infrastructure that provides support for research, technological development and innovation in the marine and maritime sectors, available to public and private users. PLOCAN offers both onshore and offshore experimental facilities and laboratories, operational throughout the whole year thanks to the Canary Islands excellent climatic conditions. PLOCAN also brings a broad experience in large national and EU marine/maritime projects.

 

For further information please contact Graham Lynch (Project Dissemination & Communications Officer) at grahamlynch@ucc.ie.