Category Archives: Offshore

ALBANY, N.Y., Sept. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The growing initiatives to develop the wind energy sector with the emphasis to complement non-renewable sources of energy is creating opportunities in the offshore corrosion protection market. Among a slew of renewable sources of energy, the development of wind energy is of significance due to minimal infrastructure required to convert it into usable energy. The efforts to tap wind energy requires construction of wind turbines at offshore locations and moderate to high altitude topographical regions with strong winds, which need to be protected from its external environment. This creates demand for offshore corrosion protection solutions.

The need for corrosion protection solutions against oxidation is of importance for equipment used in offshore and marine environments. Corrosion of steel platforms such as those used in drilling operations can lead to failure of base structures and can sometimes cause on-site accidents. Offshore corrosion protection solutions are, thus, used to prevent offshore machines and operating platforms from becoming unreliable or unsafe for use. According to experts, the use of corrosion protection solutions can lower the cost associated with corrosion, which could be from 15% to 35% of the total cost.

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Large economic value of wind energy, shipping operations, and development of oil rigs at offshore locations fuel the growth of the offshore corrosion protection market. The offshore corrosion protection market is projected to expand at a CAGR of 2.9% during the forecast period of 2019- 2030.

Offshore Corrosion Protection Market Key Findings of Report

Emergence of Organic Coatings to Open New Revenue Streams

Considerable R&D undertaken by companies in the offshore corrosion protection market to develop and evaluate the efficacy of organic coatings is creating new frontiers in the offshore corrosion protection market. Organic coatings have displayed the potential to gradually replace expensive conventional coatings to protect metallic substrates such as iron, magnesium, aluminum, and steel. Organic coatings have displayed the properties suitable for hostile environments and complex offshore conditions to prevent metallic deterioration, depletion of resources, and prevent structural failures for optimum productivity of drilling operations.

Prospects of Role of Nanotechnology Deemed to Fuel Market Expansion

The increasing penetration of technology in an array of offshore operations is a new phenomenon that has come to the fore. At present, nanotechnology has emerged to be promising n redefining offshore protection pursuits in the years ahead. This involves the development of a new range of nanostructured coating materials to expand the range of offshore corrosion protection solutions. This is favorable for the growth of the offshore corrosion protection market.

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Investments in Oil & Gas Sector Spells Growth

The incessantly rising demand for petroleum products such as oil and gas is resulting into investments in the oil & gas sector. Oil companies world over are investing in the oil & gas sector, which includes investments for the exploration and development of oil wells. The total volume of oil recovered from oil & gas sources at around nine billion barrels in 2018 against 10 billion barrels in 2017 is a testimony to this.

The end-to-end operations for the development, extraction, and logistics of oil drilling activities require an array of machineries and support platforms that are subject to harsh environmental conditions. This provides revenue opportunities for the offshore corrosion protection market.

Offshore Corrosion Protection Market Growth Drivers

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Offshore Corrosion Protection Market Key Players

Some of the key players operating in the offshore corrosion protection market are Southern Cathodic Protection, Ashland, Akzo Nobel N.V., Hempel A/S, Kansai Paint Co. Ltd., BASF SE, Chase Corp., RPM International Inc., 3M, Joturn A/S, Axalta Coating Systems Ltd., The Sherwin-Williams Company, Aegion Corporation.

Global Offshore Corrosion Protection Market: Segmentation

Offshore Corrosion Protection Market,by Technology

Offshore Corrosion Protection Market,byApplication

Offshore Corrosion Protection Market, by Region

Chemicals & Materials Industry battles Tangible Impact of Economic and Cultural changes, Explore Transparency Market Research's award-winning coverage of the global Chemicals & MaterialsIndustry:

Oil Spill Management Market- The report segments the global oil spill management market in terms of product type, technology, and geography. On the basis of type, the market is segmented into onshore spill management and offshore spill management. On the basis of technology, the oil spill management market is segmented into pre-oil spill and post-oil spill. Pre-oil spill management includes double hulling, blowout preventers, and pipeline leak detection. On the other hand, the post-oil spill management segment includes mechanical, physical, and chemical and biological methods intended to minimize the effects of the oil spill. Pre-oil spill management comprises technologies for preventing oil spills, whereas the post-oil spill management includes various methods utilized to clean, manage, and contain an oil spillage.

Wind Power Coatings Market- The global wind power coatings market was valued at US$ 798 Mn in 2018 and is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of approximately ~10% during the forecast period. The global wind power coatings market is driven by the increase in investments in offshore wind power generation. Asia Pacific accounts for a major share of the global wind power coatings market, led by the rise in focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the region

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Growing Demand for Offshore Renewables to Propel Offshore Corrosion Protection Market to Valuation of US$ 13 Bn by 2030: TMR - PRNewswire

CHINA. Offshore duty free sales in Hainan surged +122% year-on-year to CNY171 million (US$26.53 million) on National Day (1 October), the first day of the Golden Week celebrations. While traffic has been lighter than hoped for in some stores over the past three days, largely related to certain provincial governments on the Mainland urging their citizens not to travel during the holidays due to COVID-19 concerns, the numbers suggest that last years total Golden Week record sales of some US$155 million should be blitzed.

Reporting the figure, since confirmed by Hainan Provincial Bureau of International Economic Development (Hainan IEDB) to The Moodie Davitt Report, government-owned Sansha Satellite TV noted the big crowds packed into the China Duty Free Group and Global Premium Duty Free (GDF) Plaza stores in Haikou.

Shoppers queue up outside the China Duty Free Group store (above) and GDF Plaza (below) on National Day

It also pictured Haikou Customs officers supervising the unloading of goods, carrying out inspections, and checking the recently introduced traceable QR source codes on each sku. The traceable source code, a globally unique number, takes the form of a Hainan-specific QR code label, which is tear-proof and damage-resistant.

To ensure that duty free shops have sufficient supply during the peak holiday shopping period we must speed up the circulation of duty free goods, a senior Customs official told Sansha Satellite TV.

(Above and below) Steady rather than frantic shopping scenes at the China Duty Free Group-run Sanya International Duty Free Shopping Complex in Haitang Bay during the late morning of 3 October. There has been some softening of visitor numbers due to certain Mainland provincial authorities urging their citizens not to travel during the Golden Week holidays due to COVID concerns.

Key stories from China and related to Chinese travellers are featured each week on The Moodie Davitt Reports WeChat Official Account. Please scan the QR code to follow us.

This year, two new duty free shops have been opened in the Haikou area, and the duty free goods supervision warehouse has continued to expand. The sales volume of duty free goods has increased significantly, and our supervision workload has also continued to increase.

The report noted that to maximise the consumer benefits of Hainans offshore duty free business, Customs have implemented multiple measures to protect the duty free goods supervision chain, including the speeding up and simplification of customs clearance transfer procedures.

As reported, the days leading up to the official holidays also saw bountiful sales. Hainan Development Holdings-controlled Global Premium Duty Free (GDF) Plaza posted a new daily sales record of more than CNY60 million (USS$9.3 million) on 29 September.

That figure was partly drive by high sales to locals who were leaving the island for the Golden Week holiday and took advantage of strong promotions, heavily marketed by GDF Plaza. The next few days will depend on the number of pax coming to Hainan, a senior GDF Plaza source told The Moodie Davitt Report.

Hainan Provincial Bureau of International Economic Development (Hainan IEDB) picks up on the Sansha Satellite TV story. Note the Customs officials checking the traceable QR source codes on each sku.

Sales across the island provinces nine stores have been boosted by a duty free coupon promotion in association with the Hainan Provincial Department of Commerce. Each retailer is offering a variety of discounts under the scheme. China Duty Free Groups five stores are operating the voucher scheme until 31 December; GDF Plaza throughout October; Shenzhen Mission Hills Duty Free City until year end; HTDFs Sanya International Duty Free Shopping Complex until 15 October; and CNSC Sanya International Duty Free Plaza until 31 October.

Note: Every fortnight The Moodie Davitt Report publishes Hainan Curated, in association with Foreo, a selection of all recent stories from the offshore duty free sector in Hainan province.

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National Day offshore duty free sales in Hainan hit CNY171 million up +122% on 2020 - The Moodie Davitt Report - The Moodie Davitt Report

UK leads world on offshore wind

Professional Engineering

The UK has more offshore wind energy capacity in operation than any other country, new research has shown. The country retained its top spot on the global rankings with 10.4GW installed, as further analysis also by trade organisation RenewableUK showed that investment in UK offshore wind manufacturing has hit new heights, with over 900m invested in new factories so far this year.

The Engineer

A new facility led by the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow will test new nanotechnologies for medical applications. The Multiscale Metrology Suite (MMS) for Next-Generation Health Nanotechnologies will enable testing of materials and prototype technologies.

Professional Engineering

A new multi-million pound facility will simulate the intense heat and magnetic fields of future nuclear fusion power stations. Designed to enable testing of power plant components in the extreme conditions that they will face during operation, the Fusion Technology Facility is now open and operating in Rotherham, South Yorkshire.

The Engineer

A suitcase sized platform known as ForgeStar will enable microgravity testing of new materials and pharmaceutical compounds in orbit. First launching in 2022, ForgeStar will stay in low Earth orbit for up to six months.

Professional Engineering

More than 40 engineering organisations, including the IMechE, have urged the government to invest 40m annually to improve access to careers provision in English schools and colleges. Aimed at enabling more young people to understand the opportunities available in Stem careers, the call was first made by EngineeringUK. Now, the National Engineering Policy Centre (NEPC), has backed the call and made six further urgent recommendations ahead of the upcoming Autumn Budget.

Aerospace Manufacturing

The US Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa) has flight-tested a hypersonic air-breathing cruise missile. Manufactured by Raytheon Technologies and powered by a Northrop Grumman scramjet, the missile hit speeds of above Mach 5.

Professional Engineering

Tiny grains known as zeolite granules can store the summers heat to warm homes in winter, but the materials impressive chemical storage is held back by poor conductivity. Now, a team of researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute in Dresden, Germany, say they have doubled zeolites thermal conductivity with just one step, and they aim to take it much further to help reduce energy consumption from heating and cooling.

Rail Technology Magazine

A battery train developed by Vivarail will service Cop26 in Glasgow. The train has a range of 80 miles, and can recharge in 10 minutes.

Professional Engineering

A new type of glass is both stronger and more fracture-resistant than conventional examples, its developers have claimed. The researchers from McGill University in Quebec, Canada, were inspired by the material properties of the tough inner layer of mollusc shells. Instead of shattering upon impact, the new glass reportedly has the resiliency of plastic and could be used to improve mobile phone screens, among other applications.

The Engineer

Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, have developed a flexible bioelectronic device that converts the bodys movement into electricity. The generator could be used to power wearable devices.

Join IMechE and Professional Engineering at THE virtual fair for early engineering careers and find your perfect job!Register forEngRec2021 FREE today.

Content published by Professional Engineering does not necessarily represent the views of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.

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UK leads world on offshore wind and centre simulates nuclear fusion: 10 top stories of the week - Professional Engineering

2021 has seen a record 900m worth of investment in offshore wind manufacturing.

According to analysis conducted by RenewablesUK, this is the highest annual amount since the industry began in 2000.

As part of the industrys commitment to increase UK infrastructure by 60% by 2030, grants and business support worth 4.5m have been awarded so far this year to 76 supply chain companies by the Offshore Wind Growth Partnership, a 100m fund set up by the industry.

This week JDR Cables unveiled plans to build a new factory in Cambois near Blyth in Northumberland, creating 170 jobs.

July also saw two other major announcements, South Korean company SeAH Wind is investing 260m over three years in offshore wind turbines, creating 750 direct jobs.

RenewableUKs CEO Dan McGrail said: This record year of over 900m of investment in major British offshore wind manufacturing plants shows that the 2020s is the decade of delivery for the UKs offshore wind sector.

The offshore wind industry is making good on its commitments to create tens of thousands of jobs and attract billions in investment in state-of-the-art factories around the country. 26,000 people already work in this sector and thats set to increase to 69,000 over the next five years.

The Government is playing an important role in securing supply chain investment by providing strategic funding support to deliver the green economic recovery this country needs. This new funding to develop world-class offshore wind hubs in ports like Teesside and the Humber is a clear example of levelling-up in action.

In related news, 180m worth of private sector investment into offshore wind is expected to create more than 1,000 new jobs.

Business and energy secretary, Kwasi Kwarteng, said: Wind is one of the UKs greatest natural assets and were a world leader in offshore wind energy. With the largest installed capacity of offshore wind in the world, we are determined to grow and nurture a strong, world-class manufacturing base so British businesses and our workforce can fully seize the economic benefits being a windy island nation brings.

Photo by American Public Power Association

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Record year for investment in offshore wind manufacturing - Environment Journal

Athena International Management was named Best Offshore Governance Firm of the year at the 2021 HFM US Service Awards, marking the Cayman Islands boutique governance firms second consecutive win in this category.

The prestigious award acknowledges and celebrates service providers serving the US hedge fund industry who have demonstrated exceptional innovation in product delivery, customer service and business performance over the past 12 months.

For the second year in a row, Athena was shortlisted for its directorship services, this year alongside the Maples Group and Calderwood, and took home the award on the night. For the first time, following the virtual event marking last years inaugural award in this category, Founder Allison Nolan was able to collect the award in-person at a ceremony held at Guastavinos in New York.

Commenting on the win, Nolan said, We are very pleased to berecognisedagain for our commitment to providing a fresh perspective on corporate governance, delivering innovative solutions and best-in-class service to our clients. This award serves as continued validation of our relationship-driven approach and high-standards of governance that continue to set the benchmark for the alternative investment community and beyond.

Nolan is a champion for change within the hedge funds industry, particularly around diversity and inclusion. Over the last 12 months, her firmwhich also celebrated its 15-year anniversary in 2020has seen innovations to its core service offering, including assisting fund managers with environmental, social and governance (ESG) matters and global regulatory compliance requirements, which continues to bring issues like gender diversity on the board of directors of alternative fund structures into the mainstream.

We have seen ESG assessments and filters becoming a standard component of investor due diligence, she explains. More and more we see investors looking at the investment management firm themselves and, as a female founded and led governance firm, Athena can ably assist our clients in integrating global standards into their existing governance frameworks and by adding gender diversity to the funds board of directors or advisory committee.

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Athena wins Best Offshore Governance Firm for the second year | Loop Cayman Islands - Loop News Cayman

Turkey on Saturday said the presence in the region of a ship that will launch research activity on behalf of the Republic of Cyprus was another move breaching both the Turkish Cypriots rights and violating Turkeys continental shelf.

The Turkish foreign ministry said in a statement that the main cause of tension in the eastern Mediterranean in recent years has been Greeces and the Greek Cypriots maximalist maritime jurisdiction area claims and unilateral acts that ignore Turkey and Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) rights and interests.

Referring to the presence of the Nautical Geo vessel in Cyprus exclusive economic zone, Ankara said this was another unilateral act that, together with similar moves by Greece and Cyprus, increase tension in the East-Med and threaten peace and stability.

According to a Navtex issued by the Republic, the Nautical Geo would be executing survey operations within Cyprus EEZ in the south coast between September 27 and October 4.

In addition to Greeces recent attempts to violate our continental shelf in the East-Med recently, the GCA (Greek Cypriot Administration) has also announced that it will launch a research activity on 3 October with an Italian-owned, Maltese-flagged ship in the region, breaching both TRNCs rights and violating Turkeys continental shelf, Ankara said.

The ministry referred to the proposal by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to the EU to convene an inclusive conference in the eastern Mediterranean last year and the norths proposal to the Greek Cypriot side in July 2019 regarding hydrocarbon resources. Though all these proposals are on the table, Greece and the Greek Cypriots have been attempting to engage in unilateral and provocative activities in recent months by increasing the tension in the Eastern Mediterranean, it added.

It said all necessary steps are being taken against these unilateral acts of Greece and Cyprus both on the ground and at the table. Also, it is being brought to the attention of third countries that they should not be part of these unilateral acts, it added.

The ministry said Turkey will resolutely continue to protect its own and the Turkish Cypriots rights in the East-Med.

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Offshore research activity by RoC another step raising tension, Turkey says - Cyprus Mail

SALEM City and energy industry leaders gathered at Blaney Wharf Thursday to announce Commonwealth Wind, a partnership to transform 42 acres of undeveloped land around Salem Harbor Footprint that would support an offshore wind facility.

The partnership is one of two proposals competing for the right to develop offshore wind off Marthas Vineyard, with Mayflower Wind out of Boston and Fall River representing the other proposal, according to the mayors office. Bids were due Sept. 16.

For the last several months, city officials and those at Footprint Power have been warming to the idea of Salem serving as a marshaling yard and landside base of operations for the offshore wind industry. As a marshaling yard, jobs would be created locally to build wind turbines, which would then be shipped out to the ocean and connected to the grid.

Under the terms of this deal, were it to win the states bid, Crowley Wind Services a New England-based subsidiary of Crowley Maritime Corporation would buy the full 42 acres of Footprint land and serve as the long-term offshore wind port operator for the site, read the citys announcement of the deal.

Crowley would then work with Vineyard Wind and its partners as tenants to use the property for the Commonwealth Wind project as well as other projects in the companys portfolio, the announcement read.

Vineyard obviously helped form Commonwealth Wind, a newly proposed offshore wind project that submitted a response to the commonwealths Sept. 16 procurement process, said Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll on Thursday.

Lars Pedersen, CEO of Vineyard Wind, said Massachusetts was home to the first offshore wind port, and were very proud today to announce that wed be looking to build the second offshore wind port right here in the Commonwealth.

It benefits from the strong and consistent winds that we have offshore. It needs shallow water, which we also have south of Cape Cod, and its a technology that benefits... you can inject the power directly to where its being used in the load centers along the shoreline, Pedersen said. Thats why some people call the Northeast the Saudi Arabia of offshore wind. If you look at the golden maps, this is one of the prime places to do offshore wind.

The partnership would create an estimated 400 full-time equivalent jobs during the revitalization of the port, and up to another 500 FTEs over the first five years of operation for construction and staging for wind projects, and also day-to-day port operations, according to officials.

The news was celebrated at a hastily scheduled press conference on Blaney Wharf Thursday morning. The event was twice interrupted, though briefly, by the arrival and departure of the Salem Ferry.

Were standing, or sitting, on this public pier, next to the home of our publicly owned ferry, next to our public marina, Driscoll said. None of this existed in its current iteration just a few years ago. Weve put together a waterfront plan and then marshaled the assets mostly state and federal funding to build out this vision. Its a testament that were willing to embrace change not always easily, but we do.

The proposal again, if it wins the state bid represents the fulfillment of a dream for Salem Alliance for the Environment (SAFE).

Weve seen the potential for wind for over 20 years onshore wind and offshore wind, said Pat Gozemba, one of two co-chairs of SAFE. We were thwarted with our onshore wind dreams; although were really thrilled to see places like Ipswich, Gloucester and Hull succeed. Now, were delighted to be part of the offshore wind industry, because thats really where the action is. Thats really where the power is.

Cindy Keegan, SAFEs other co-chair, said the announcement is fulfilling our hopes that this particular site is transitioning from a dirty coal and oil plant, eventually, to a gas plant that we always saw as a transition to cleaner power to now finally being able to usher in our clean power future. Allowing us to participate in that is really important.

The news is also seen as a boom to the maritime industry and its many players, including Bob Blair, a senior pilot with Essex Point Pilots, an often unseen force that helps guide ships in and out of regional harbors.

Rather than condominiums occupying the waterfront, were back to the seaport business, Blair said. We have a real mission thats going to run for decades regarding offshore wind. Its going to facilitate more cruise ships coming the plans and transition of the physical port will change a lot through investment, and more docks, and more facilities, and more vessels.

This is really historic, continued Blair. This is a landmark day in a long history of a very important port in America. Its staying as a port, and thats what is so amazing about today.

Contact Dustin Luca at 978-338-2523 or DLuca@salemnews.com. Follow him at facebook.com/dustinluca or on Twitter @DustinLucaSN.

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Salem in bid for offshore wind | News | salemnews.com - The Salem News

Collaboration will be key to enabling the happy co-existence of the growing offshore wind industry and the air defence sector, according to panellists at RenewableUKs Global Offshore Wind conference.

Members of the UK offshore wind industry, the military and government are working together to test technological solutions to reduce wind farms interference with air defence radar systems.

This, in turn, could prevent the military objecting to new offshore wind farm developments, panellists explained.

The Air Defence and Offshore Wind Mitigation Task Force brings together UK wind industry group the Offshore Wind Industry Council (OWIC), seabed landlord the Crown Estate, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and the Ministry of Defence (MOD).

They are yet to decide how costs would be shared, and where mitigation technology would be located whether on existing offshore wind infrastructure or elsewhere but panellists remained optimistic that they would find solutions to these issues.

Paul Cooley, director of capital projects atSSE Renewables,said that he believed any costs would be tolerable and that the cooperation with the military would help developers complete projects without additional permitting difficulties.

Panellists remained tight-lipped about the specific technologies being trialled, but air vice-marshal Linc Taylor from the Royal Air Force (RAF) described some of them as really promising.

Taylor represents the RAF on the industry-government-military task force, and explained the challenge the military faces with offshore wind: Weve got a task to defend the UK from any adversaries coming at us. We have a responsibility to make sure all our airspace is safe.

However, these blades spin round at a hell of a rate and they look, to a radar, like a target. But that wind farm is not always running at the same speed. It changes, and that affects our radar.

Taylor said that the militarys attitude to offshore wind was changing from previously seeing it as disruptive to radar systems, to now wanting to accommodate it where possible.

When we get asked, Can we put in more offshore wind? the answer shouldnt be a no. It should be, How do we make the answer yes? Taylor added.

Whether that is co-financing or co-development of technology, there are things we are looking at now.

Fiona Mettam, deputy director for renewable energy at BEIS, said that the UK government raising its targets for offshore wind to 40GW by 2030 means the scale and speed now required of the industry must lead to past difficulties being overcome.

However, she added: This work is not just a reflection of the increased ambition for renewable energy. Its also a reflection of a huge amount of cross-government and cross-industry willpower to make this commitment feasible and take practical steps to deliver it.

By working together, the groups hope to be able to streamline project permitting and development by eliminating obstacles and minimising military objections to wind farms.

Will Apps, head of energy development at seabed landlord the Crown Estate said: We need to plan in the compromise before we create the clash.

Meanwhile, SSEs Cooley added: Offshore development is a world of various degrees of uncertainty. Its about narrowing down the level of risk and uncertainty as early as possible.

The next steps will be around developing principles for cost-sharing for the mitigation solution. The group hopes to have principle in place before theUKs next contracts for difference (CfD) tender is launched in December 2021

I dont think cost-sharing is an easy challenge to address, but with a platform and mechanism for co-operation and collaboration, we have a really good place to have that difficult conversation, BEISs Mettam added.

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Collaboration 'key to reducing impact of offshore wind on UK radar systems' - Windpower Monthly

Ocean City leaders used a public hearing Tuesday night on proposals to expand offshore wind-generated electricity production along Marylands coast for a last-ditch attempt to push the proposed turbine installations farther out to sea.

But they found themselves badly outnumbered during a three-hour virtual hearing of the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) on two companies bids for the next phase of offshore wind energy development in the state: About three-quarters of the people testifying favored expanding the lease area in federal waters.

Two energy companies, rsted and US Wind, are awaiting final U.S. government approval to build the first phase of Marylands offshore wind development off the coast of Ocean City. But even before the Interior Departments Bureau of Ocean Energy Management weighs in, state officials are seeking bidders for the second phase of wind development; both US Wind and rsted are interested in winning that contract as well.

But even as wind energy installations seem likely to appear up and down the Atlantic coast over the next decade, some Ocean City political and business leaders continue to insist that giant turbines located 12-20 miles offshore will damage views from the shore, jeopardizing tourism, real estate values and the local economy.

State Sen. Mary Beth Carozza (R-Lower Shore) urged the PSC to preserve and protect the Ocean City way of life.

We support clean energy in Maryland, including offshore wind, but we stand in opposition to the size and location of the turbines, she said.

The simple solution, Carozza and other officials argued, is to push the wind energy projects farther offshore, noting that similar moves are being made in other East Coast states. But designated federal lease areas off the coast of Maryland and Delaware only go so far, meaning moving them farther offshore isnt practical.

Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan said he did not know why, with the federal approval process for the first phase of the development moving so slowly, the PSC seemed so eager to award a lease for the second phase.

Why would the PSC rush to [approve another lease] with so many unanswered questions? he asked, adding that the impacts of the wind turbines on the Ocean City economy would be irreversible.

We cant rely on [the wind energy companies] to protect the future of Ocean City, Meehan said.

Danny Robinson, an Ocean City restaurant owner, laid out his opposition in more dramatic terms. He said he informally polls his customers and hasnt found a single one who favors the wind projects.

I understand that we in this little community are the only thing standing between the big wind cartel and billions of dollars in government subsidies, Robinson said, calling the projects a plunder of our resources rather than a solution for climate change.

I dont want to have to explain to my grandchildren what a sunrise used to look like in Ocean City, Maryland, he said.

But dozens of people testified in favor of the expansion plans, saying that Ocean City might cease to exist altogether if renewable power projects arent advanced aggressively.

The fact of the matter is, if we dont act now, there will be no Ocean City, said Cindy Dillon, a resident of Ocean Pines.

Kathy Phillips, director of the Assateague Coastal Trust, said the current debate over offshore wind reminds her of the furor in Ocean City over beach replenishment in the 1980s, when some residents feared that higher dunes would block views from low-level condominiums. Instead, she said, they have become natural treasures that attract red foxes and other wildlife.

Twenty years from now, our offshore wind farms will be claimed proudly by new residents and tourists, Phillips predicted.

Representatives from labor unions, regional business organizations, Baltimore County government and the Tradepoint Atlantic industrial development near Dundalk touted the economic development benefits of offshore wind and said the projects would provide thousands of construction jobs in Maryland and hundreds of maintenance jobs in the Ocean City area. In August, US Wind announced ambitious plans to establish a manufacturing operation and steel plant at Tradepoint Atlantic, the site of a former Bethlehem Steel factory.

The Public Service Commission will hold a second virtual hearing on the two wind companies bids to expand offshore wind on Thursday at 6 p.m. The commission will take written testimony on the proposals until Nov. 19. The agency has promised to make a decision on the bids by Dec. 18.

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Ocean City Officials Make Last-Ditch Effort on Offshore Wind, But They're Outnumbered at Hearing Maryland Matters - Josh Kurtz

Sep 30th 2021

IN MANY PLACES where seaweed used to thrive, often growing in vast forests, it is disappearing. The cause is global warming, which, by heating the oceans upper layer, reduces its density through thermal expansionthus making it more buoyant. That extra buoyancy means it is less likely to mix with cooler, denser and more nutrient-rich waters below. This is bad for the marine environment in general. More specifically, it is bad for commercial seaweed farming, a business with revenues of (depending on whom you ask) between $6bn and $40bn a year.

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The algae involved, particularly kelp, are popular in Asian cuisine. They are also used as fertiliser, and are processed into carrageenan, a natural binder and emulsifier employed in foods, cosmetics and drugs. Most are grown either on the seabed or on ropes attached to it (see picture above). But some are cultivated on small floating platforms.

To counter the effects of surface heating, which are particularly pronounced in the tropics, researchers are trying to improve the floating-platform approach by assisting the upwelling of cooler waters to stimulate algal growth on such platforms. This would also increase the area available for seaweed farms, by allowing them to be located well away from coastlines. An experimental floating farm installed in August, off the coast of the Philippines, by a group led by the Climate Foundation, an American charity, is one of the largest attempts so far to do this.

Artificial stimulation of upwelling is not a new idea. It has been touted for years as a way to regenerate kelp forests, in particular. And for good reason. With enough nutrients, fronds of giant kelp, which grow to an average length of about 30 metres, can elongate by more than 50cm a day. Only now, however, is upwelling-stimulation being attempted seriously.

The foundations test platform has an area of 100 square metres. It employs solar-powered turbines to suck water up from a depth of several hundred metres through flexible, cylindrical pipes. The foundation plans to experiment with wind-powered and wave-powered turbines, too.

If this works, which early results suggest it does, and can be scaled up, not only could such technology boost seaweed production, it might also help ecosystems that depend on seaweed forests. Andat least in theoryif part of the harvest were sacrificed by sinking it into the deep ocean, that might act as a novel form of carbon capture and storage which could help slow the warming that caused the problem in the first place.

According to Brian von Herzen, who runs the foundation, the organisation carried out smaller-scale experiments, using similar technology, in 2020. These showed that seaweed grows four times faster on platforms irrigated with upwelled water than on equivalent, unirrigated platforms. Moreover, it continues to grow during the warmest months of the year, when seaweed not so irrigated actually shrinks.

Dr von Herzen and his colleagues hope to use experience gathered from their latest rig to develop a platform that would cover an entire hectare of the oceans surface100 times the area of the one just launched. To that end, they are collaborating with the Marine Bioproducts Cooperative Research Centre, a public-private partnership in Australia. At this scale, the partners estimate, a seaweed farm could pay for itself within five years.

Moreover, seaweed farms bring benefits beyond the immediate value of their crop. Seaweed is a habitat for many marine creatures, including fish. Some of these can be harvested for food. Indeed, for artificial upwelling to bring about that desirable state of affairs it may not even be necessary to farm seaweed. Ocean artUp, a project led by the Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research in Kiel, Germany, is experimenting with the use of upwelling to encourage the growth of the small, planktonic creatures eaten by sardines.

That could help restore stocks of these fish, which are shrinking rapidly in both the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Ocean artUp, which began in 2017 and is scheduled to run until the end of this year, has concentrated on simulating and measuring exactly how artificial upwelling affects the quantities of nutrients transferred between ocean layers. One thing the projects researchers have discovered is that if you pump too hard, some of the upwelled water simply drops back into the depths, without mixing properly. Stirring the ocean in this way may thus require the design of floating water-mixers, too, to keep the nutrients at the surface.

Meanwhile, in San Francisco, Otherlab, an independent research laboratory, is working on an underwater robot intended to screw large tethers firmly into the seabed, to ensure that floating seaweed farms stay put, and can better survive stormy weather. Otherlab is part of a consortium paid for by ARPA-e, an American-government agency that is exploring the idea of using seaweed as a source of biofuel.

Those squeamish about anything that smacks of geoengineeringin other words, technology intended to change the worlds climate in ways that oppose global warmingview artificial upwelling with scepticism. They argue that it could damage other parts of ocean ecosystems, and might even create unwanted side-effects that end up accelerating climate change rather than slowing it. Proponents, conversely, see these early efforts, at least, as simply restoring upwelling that has been suppressed by climate change.

A study published last year in Nature Climate Change, by a team of researchers from America and China, suggested that the overall stratification of the worlds oceans has increased by 5% since 1960, with up to 20% more stratification in the tropics. This is despite any countervailing effect of the more extreme weather that global warming brings, which leads to greater churning of the oceans. Any such churning is overwhelmed by the extra buoyancy of the warmer surface layers.

Cooling the ocean surface by encouraging upwelling might also have a direct effect on the local air temperature. Warmer surface waters keep the atmosphere above warmer, too. Cooler waters do the reverse. But the technology would have to be deployed on a vast scaleover millions of hectares of the oceans surfacebefore it had a noticeable effect on the atmosphere.

As Dr von Herzen, who does not advocate geoengineering, points out, any such plans would face more than just economic barriers. The London Protocol, an international legal framework that regulates marine pollution, sets stringent limits on deliberate geoengineering of the oceans. The protocol does, however, tolerate justifiable commercial exploitation, along with some carbon capture.

If large-scale seaweed farming were, nevertheless, to be considered for geoengineering, there would be a certain irony in that fact. To do this would mean dumping the algae thus grown on the ocean floor, to stop the carbon in them returning to the atmosphere. That would probably work in the short term. But it was just such a process of sedimentation of organic matter which, over millions of years, produced modern-day petroleum fields. And it is their oil, furiously pumped up for over a century, that has generated much of the excess of greenhouse gases of which the world is now trying to rid itself.

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An early version of this article was published online on September 29th 2021

This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline "Seaweed at scale"

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Floating offshore farms should increase production of seaweed - The Economist