(2012), which aimed at the development of a floating modular multi-use platform
system for use in deep waters (European Commission 2014a).
The H2OCEAN (2012) (Development of a wind-wave power open-sea platform
equipped for hydrogen generation with support for multiple users of energy) project
aims at developing an economically and environmentally sustainable multi-use
open-sea platform on which wind and wave power will be harvested. Part of the
generated energy will be used for multiple applications on-site, including the
conversion of energy into hydrogen that can be stored and shipped to shore, and a
multi-trophic aquaculture farm. Prof. Phoebe Koundouri and her team have contributed to the integration of the socio-economic research of all three projects under the
Oceans of Tomorrow. The socio-economic outcomes of the projects have been
published in numerous multidisciplinary top-ranked scientific journals, one book
Koundouri (2017) (editor) The Ocean of Tomorrow: Investment Assessment of
Multi-Use Offshore Platforms: Methodology and Applications - Volume 1 and an
electronic decision support system integrating technical, environmental, financial
and socio-economic aspects of offshore platform design and location.
The TROPOS project aims at developing a floating modular multi-use platform
system for use in deep waters, with an initial geographic focus on the Mediterranean,
tropical and subtropical regions, in particular on the EU outermost regions (OMRs),
composed of the Azores, the Canary Islands, Guadeloupe, Guiana, Madeira, Martinique and Reunion, but designed to be flexible enough so as not to be limited in
geographic scope. TROPOS gathers 20 partners from 9 countries (Spain, the United
Kingdom, Germany, Portugal, France, Norway, Denmark, Greece and Taiwan),
under the coordination of PLOCAN (Spain). The TROPOS project is a €7-million
European project aiming to explore the design of offshore multi-use platforms, in
which a mixture of different sectors and specific functions can be performed in a
shared location with shared infrastructure (and costs) and could prove to be an
important opportunity for improved utilization of the oceans as well as sustainable
economic growth (Fig. 1.4). Developing a concept of multi-use oceanic platforms
has become one of the EU’s most interesting bets to guarantee the use and synergistic exploitation of oceanic resources in a sustainable and eco-friendly manner.
The TROPOS project enhances the potential and increases the added value of the
integration of the four disciplines of Transport, Energy, Aquaculture and Leisure
(TEAL) in the proposed floating platform designs. This is to be achieved by ensuring
a maximum level of integration and synergy of the multiple platform uses and
studying and proposing how to enhance the potential of TEAL integration. The
main objectives of the project are to (i) determine suitable locations for the offshore
platform system and explore the relations, potential for synergies and integration of a
broad range of functions including different marine renewable energy sources,
fisheries, aquaculture and related maritime transport aspects; (ii) develop innovative
designs of MUPs that allow their close spatial integration and study logistics,
security, installation, operational, decommissioning and maintenance requirements
for MUPs; and (iii) study the economic viability, socio-economic acceptability and
environmental impact of key combinations and address ways to minimize significant
8
P. Koundouri et al.
system for use in deep waters (European Commission 2014a).
The H2OCEAN (2012) (Development of a wind-wave power open-sea platform
equipped for hydrogen generation with support for multiple users of energy) project
aims at developing an economically and environmentally sustainable multi-use
open-sea platform on which wind and wave power will be harvested. Part of the
generated energy will be used for multiple applications on-site, including the
conversion of energy into hydrogen that can be stored and shipped to shore, and a
multi-trophic aquaculture farm. Prof. Phoebe Koundouri and her team have contributed to the integration of the socio-economic research of all three projects under the
Oceans of Tomorrow. The socio-economic outcomes of the projects have been
published in numerous multidisciplinary top-ranked scientific journals, one book
Koundouri (2017) (editor) The Ocean of Tomorrow: Investment Assessment of
Multi-Use Offshore Platforms: Methodology and Applications - Volume 1 and an
electronic decision support system integrating technical, environmental, financial
and socio-economic aspects of offshore platform design and location.
The TROPOS project aims at developing a floating modular multi-use platform
system for use in deep waters, with an initial geographic focus on the Mediterranean,
tropical and subtropical regions, in particular on the EU outermost regions (OMRs),
composed of the Azores, the Canary Islands, Guadeloupe, Guiana, Madeira, Martinique and Reunion, but designed to be flexible enough so as not to be limited in
geographic scope. TROPOS gathers 20 partners from 9 countries (Spain, the United
Kingdom, Germany, Portugal, France, Norway, Denmark, Greece and Taiwan),
under the coordination of PLOCAN (Spain). The TROPOS project is a €7-million
European project aiming to explore the design of offshore multi-use platforms, in
which a mixture of different sectors and specific functions can be performed in a
shared location with shared infrastructure (and costs) and could prove to be an
important opportunity for improved utilization of the oceans as well as sustainable
economic growth (Fig. 1.4). Developing a concept of multi-use oceanic platforms
has become one of the EU’s most interesting bets to guarantee the use and synergistic exploitation of oceanic resources in a sustainable and eco-friendly manner.
The TROPOS project enhances the potential and increases the added value of the
integration of the four disciplines of Transport, Energy, Aquaculture and Leisure
(TEAL) in the proposed floating platform designs. This is to be achieved by ensuring
a maximum level of integration and synergy of the multiple platform uses and
studying and proposing how to enhance the potential of TEAL integration. The
main objectives of the project are to (i) determine suitable locations for the offshore
platform system and explore the relations, potential for synergies and integration of a
broad range of functions including different marine renewable energy sources,
fisheries, aquaculture and related maritime transport aspects; (ii) develop innovative
designs of MUPs that allow their close spatial integration and study logistics,
security, installation, operational, decommissioning and maintenance requirements
for MUPs; and (iii) study the economic viability, socio-economic acceptability and
environmental impact of key combinations and address ways to minimize significant
8
P. Koundouri et al.