Anchoring the future of offshore wind power – Texas A&M Stories

Report on the Deeply Embedded Ring Anchor (DERA) System for Offshore Wind Energy

Introduction: Advancing Sustainable Development Goals through Geotechnical Innovation

A new anchoring technology, the Deeply Embedded Ring Anchor (DERA) system, has been developed by researchers at Texas A&M University to address critical challenges in the offshore wind energy sector. This innovation provides a secure, cost-effective, and scalable solution for mooring floating wind turbines. The system’s development directly supports the achievement of several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in the areas of clean energy, industry innovation, and climate action.

The Challenge: Scaling Offshore Wind for SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy)

The global transition to renewable energy necessitates a significant expansion of offshore wind capacity, which is projected to reach 270,000 megawatts by 2050. This expansion requires an unprecedented number of floating wind turbines and associated anchoring systems.

Limitations of Conventional Anchoring Technology

Traditional anchors, primarily developed for the oil and gas industry, present significant barriers to the large-scale deployment of renewable energy infrastructure. These limitations directly impact the feasibility and affordability of clean energy projects.

• Economic Inefficiency: For floating renewable projects, mooring and anchoring systems constitute 15-20% of the total cost, a much higher proportion than in oil and gas projects. Conventional anchors are not economically optimized for the scale required by the wind industry, hindering progress toward SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy).
• Scalability Issues: The projected installation of approximately 13,500 floating turbines by 2050 will require around 40,000 anchors. The size and logistical complexity of traditional anchors make manufacturing and deployment at this scale a major challenge for SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure).

The DERA System: A Solution for Sustainable Infrastructure

Developed by Dr. Charles Aubeny and his team, the DERA system is an innovative response to the offshore wind industry’s needs. Its design is centered on the principle that deeper embedment in the seabed increases anchor strength, allowing for a significantly smaller and more efficient design.

Core Features and Technical Advantages

1. Deep Embedment: The system utilizes a novel follower mechanism to drive a compact anchor deep below the seabed. This deep placement is the key to its high efficiency and holding capacity.
2. Reduced Material and Logistics: The smaller size of the DERA reduces material costs, simplifies manufacturing, and lessens the demand on specialized marine vessels and port facilities, directly supporting SDG 9 by optimizing infrastructure use.
3. Installation Versatility: The DERA system is adaptable to diverse seabed conditions. It can be installed in soft clay via suction techniques or in sandy and layered soils using vibratory methods.

Contributions to Sustainable Development Goals

The DERA system provides a multi-faceted contribution to global sustainability targets:

• SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy): By substantially lowering the cost of anchoring systems, DERA makes floating offshore wind power more economically viable, accelerating the transition to clean and affordable energy for all.
• SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure): The technology represents a critical innovation that builds resilient infrastructure. Its compact design alleviates logistical bottlenecks and allows for the use of existing fabrication plants, promoting sustainable industrialization.
• SDG 13 (Climate Action): By enabling the rapid and widespread deployment of offshore wind farms, the DERA system is a crucial tool in the fight against climate change, facilitating a significant reduction in reliance on fossil fuels.
• SDG 14 (Life Below Water): The deep embedment of the anchor ensures it is unaffected by surface-level geohazards such as erosion from strong currents or earthquake-induced liquefaction. This enhances the stability and reliability of the energy infrastructure while minimizing disturbance to the immediate seabed surface.

Conclusion: A Foundational Technology for a Sustainable Energy Future

The Deeply Embedded Ring Anchor (DERA) system is a pivotal advancement in geotechnical engineering that directly addresses the economic and logistical barriers to scaling offshore wind energy. Its design promotes efficiency, reliability, and affordability, aligning perfectly with the objectives of the Sustainable Development Goals. By providing a robust and scalable foundation for floating wind turbines, the DERA system is set to play a significant role in the global effort to achieve a sustainable and clean energy future.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Addressed

• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy – The article’s central theme is an innovation in offshore wind power, a key source of clean energy, with a focus on making it more affordable and efficient.
• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure – The text details a technological innovation (the DERA system) designed to improve and expand sustainable infrastructure (offshore wind farms) and make the renewable energy industry more efficient.
• SDG 13: Climate Action – By facilitating the expansion of offshore wind energy, the technology described is a direct contribution to combating climate change by replacing fossil fuels with renewable sources.
• SDG 14: Life Below Water – The technology operates in “deep ocean waters,” and its design, which embeds deep below the seabed to avoid “surface-level geohazards,” has implications for minimizing disruption to marine ecosystems.

Specific Targets Identified

1. SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

   • Target 7.2: By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix. The article directly supports this by describing a technology that enables the massive expansion of offshore wind energy, projecting “an estimated 270,000 megawatts of floating wind capacity by 2050.”
   • Target 7.a: By 2030, enhance international cooperation to facilitate access to clean energy research and technology… and promote investment in energy infrastructure and clean energy technology. The development of the DERA system is a direct result of research and a “commercialization effort,” representing an investment in clean energy technology.

2. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

   • Target 9.4: By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies. The DERA system is presented as a “more efficient solution” that provides “substantial cost savings” and is “smaller and more compact,” thus increasing resource-use efficiency in the renewable energy industry.
   • Target 9.5: Enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors… encouraging innovation. The article is a case study of this target, detailing how university research led by Dr. Charles Aubeny resulted in an innovative technology being developed and commercialized.

3. SDG 13: Climate Action

   • Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning. The article’s statement that “the race to harness offshore wind power accelerates” reflects the real-world integration of climate policies that drive demand for such large-scale renewable energy projects.

4. SDG 14: Life Below Water

   • Target 14.2: By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts. The article implies a contribution to this target by noting the anchor is embedded “deep below the seabed,” making it “unaffected by surface-level geohazards” like erosion. This deep placement can minimize disturbance to the active seabed ecosystem compared to larger, surface-level anchoring systems.

Indicators for Measuring Progress

1. Indicators for SDG 7

   • Renewable energy capacity: The article provides a specific metric for future capacity: “an estimated 270,000 megawatts of floating wind capacity by 2050.” This is a direct indicator of the increasing share of renewable energy.
   • Investment in clean energy technology: The “commercialization effort” for the DERA system is an implied indicator of financial flows and investment being directed toward new clean energy technologies.

2. Indicators for SDG 9

   • Cost and resource efficiency: The article states that for floating renewables, the mooring system is “about 15 to 20% of the project cost.” The DERA system’s goal to make this more “economical” serves as an indicator of increased efficiency. Its “smaller and more compact” size is an indicator of reduced material use.
   • Innovation output: The development of the DERA system itself, from a university lab concept to a commercial product, is a tangible indicator of successful research and innovation.

3. Indicators for SDG 13

   • Scale of renewable energy implementation: The projected need for “about 40,000 [anchors] for the projected 13,500 floating wind turbines” is a quantifiable indicator of the large-scale implementation of climate action strategies.

4. Indicators for SDG 14

   • Technology design for minimal environmental impact: The specific design feature of being “embedded deep below the seabed” to avoid surface-level issues is an implicit indicator of designing infrastructure to minimize its footprint on marine ecosystems.

Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: stories.tamu.edu