Highlights from ICOE 2024 – Leading Innovation in Offshore Energy

Our team of experts had a remarkable presence at the International Conference on Ocean Energy (ICOE) 2024 held in Melbourne. This prestigious event brought together thought leaders, innovators, and key stakeholders from the global offshore energy community, and we are proud to have showcased our extensive capabilities through presentations, panel discussions, and co-chairing sessions.

Unveiling cutting-edge insights

Our team shared valuable knowledge that underscored our commitment to driving innovation in the offshore energy sector.

Louise Bruce presented her visionary talk on Designing data infrastructure for the blue economy: Harnessing the power of data for Australia’s emerging offshore energy industry. Louise highlighted the pivotal role that robust data frameworks play in unlocking the potential of offshore energy projects. By utilizing advanced data-driven tools, we are supporting Australia's transition towards a more sustainable offshore energy industry.

Louise Bruce, Senior principal consultant, presenting at ICOE 2024.

Daniel Machado shared his expertise with the presentation Learnings from the site selection process for an offshore floating wind turbine demonstration project in Australia. His talk provided key insights into the challenges and successes faced during the early-stage site selection process for this groundbreaking project, emphasizing how our strategic approach is vital for the success of offshore wind initiatives.

Louise Bruce and Louise Synnot together presented on the Environmental Information Model (EIM) for cumulative impact assessment in the Albany marine zone. This model helps stakeholders assess environmental impacts in complex marine ecosystems, a key element in sustainable offshore energy development.

Leading discussions as co-chairs

Our team's thought leadership extended beyond presentations, with several of our experts co-chairing crucial sessions:

• Louise Bruce co-chaired the session on Integration and adaptation: assessing environmental impacts 2, bringing together key discussions on the role of environmental assessments in the successful integration of offshore energy projects.
• Daniel Machado co-chaired the Learning from offshore wind developments 2 session, facilitating discussions on lessons learned and best practices for offshore wind.
• Chris Shearer took on a leading role as co-chair for the session Know how: operations & maintenance and decommissioning, where practical insights into the lifecycle management of offshore energy assets were discussed.

Chris Shearer, Principal Engineer, at ICOE 2024.

Key takeaways

This year’s ICOE also brought to light several findings that have the potential to significantly shape the future of offshore renewable energy, particularly for emerging markets like Australia:

1. The OES-Environmental framework for risk assessment and consenting: One of the most innovative takeaways was the framework developed by OES-Environmental for assessing the potential environmental effects of marine renewable energy (MRE). While the framework’s baselining, monitoring, and systematic risk grouping are common practices, the risk retirement concept is a groundbreaking development. Risk retirement allows regulators and developers to streamline consenting by relying on previously approved projects or analogous offshore activities, reducing the burden of reassessing every specific risk for each new project. For Australia’s emerging offshore renewables industry, this framework, especially the risk retirement concept, offers a timely opportunity to accelerate the approvals process, fostering faster transitions from fossil fuels to renewable energy.
2. Wave energy in Australia report: Another critical finding was the potential for wave energy to reduce the dependency on large-scale battery storage within the National Electricity Market (NEM). According to the report, incorporating wave energy could substantially decrease the costs associated with achieving a net-zero electricity grid. This discovery has far-reaching implications and warrants further analysis to validate its full potential. Communicating this finding to stakeholders will be crucial for advancing the adoption of wave energy in Australia’s energy mix, which could help lower costs and enhance grid stability.

Technical innovation at the forefront

Dr. Thomas Beard addressed the innovative topic of Powering workboats at sea with offshore energy, illustrating how offshore energy can directly support maritime operations, reducing emissions and creating sustainable energy solutions for workboats.

Dr. Thomas Beard, Clean shipping service lead and Julia Outerbridge, Senior consultant, at ICOE 2024.

Kai Mun Chan presented the detailed design of the M4 WEC: A case study, showcasing our engineering expertise in wave energy converter technology. His presentation delved into the design intricacies and the potential of wave energy as a viable renewable resource.

Kai Mun Chan, Consultant, at ICOE 2024.

Our commitment to offshore energy

Our participation at ICOE 2024 highlighted our comprehensive capabilities in supporting the offshore energy industry’s growth. From data infrastructure and environmental assessments to cutting-edge design solutions for offshore energy systems, we continue to lead the charge in delivering sustainable, innovative solutions across the blue economy.

By embracing frameworks such as OES-Environmental’s risk retirement concept and leveraging the potential of wave energy, we are committed to driving forward Australia’s energy transition, advancing projects that support a more sustainable and resilient future.

We look forward to collaborating further with stakeholders as we continue to shape the future of offshore energy, leveraging our expertise to advance Australia’s energy transition.