MARINCOMP

“Novel Composite Materials and Processes for Offshore Renewable Energy” (MARINCOMP) (Grant no: 612531) is a European Commission, Marie Curie 7th Framework Programme funded Project, under the Industry-Academia Partnerships and Pathways (IAPP) call: FP7-People-2013-IAPP.

Marine renewable energy is a small but growing sector of the energy industry that is garnering particular attention in Ireland due to the vast natural resources available. With respect to tidal turbines, there is the additional advantage that much of the technology used today for wind turbine blades can be readily transferred; however, the marine environment presents its own unique problems.

MARINCOMP aims to reduce the cost of offshore wind and tidal turbine blades and enable the drive toward a lower cost per kilowatt renewable energy for both industries.

Aims to reduce the cost of offshore wind and tidal turbine blade structures
2. To jointly develop and optimise carbon-fiber reinforced composite materials that are tailored for long-term durability in the marine environment and can be processed rapidly and cost-effectively
3. New software tools such as a fatigue life design tool which incorporates the effect of immersion in seawater, and a cost-performance model will be developed in the project
4. Provide a step-change in the use of carbon fibre in large high volume composite structures

The purpose of the IAPP call is to enhance Industry-Academia collaboration. MARINCOMP will achieve this through the seconding of staff between the participating organizations, thereby promoting knowledge transfer and skills exchange between the industry and academic sectors.