Reliability of multi-purpose offshore-facilities: Present status and future direction in Australia

Abstract

Sustainable use of the ocean for food and energy production is an emerging area of research in different countries around the world. This goal is pursued by the Australian aquaculture, offshore engineering and renewable energy industries, research organisations and the government through the “Blue Economy Cooperative Research Centre”. To address the challenges of offshore food and energy production, leveraging the benefits of co-location, vertical integration, infrastructure and shared services, will be enabled through the development of novel Multi-Purpose Offshore-Platforms (MPOP). The structural integrity of the designed systems when being deployed in the harsh offshore environment is one of the main challenges in developing the MPOPs. Employing structural reliability analysis methods for assessing the structural safety of the novel aquaculture-MPOPs comes with different limitations. This review aims at shedding light on these limitations and discusses the current status and future directions for structural reliability analysis of a novel aquaculture-MPOP considering Australia’s unique environment. To achieve this aim, challenges which exist at different stages of reliability assessment, from data collection and uncertainty quantification to load and structural modelling and reliability analysis implementation, are discussed. Furthermore, several solutions to these challenges are proposed based on the existing knowledge in other sectors, and particularly from the offshore oil and gas industry. Based on the identified gaps in the review process, potential areas for future research are introduced to enable a safer and more reliable operation of the MPOPs.

A bibliometric review of progress and trends in food factory design research

“…Many studies in this area have focused on the total energy balance of production systems, crop transpiration models, the relationship between sensible and latent heat exchange, and ventilation and circulation systems (Zhang et al ., 2016, Graamans et al ., 2017). However, in recent years, the research focus seems to have shifted to the relationship between energy‐saving design and functions, facade construction and local climate in the above production systems, as well as the construction of multi‐purpose offshore platforms (MOP) in an effort to utilise the oceans for food production (Graamans et al ., 2020, Aryai et al ., 2021). Numerous theories and methods have been proposed in relation to choosing a factory location and designing a production system.…”

Planning and licensing for marine aquaculture

“…[225][226][227][228] In multiuse platforms, activities are integrated within the same structure(s), whereas co-location as a broader concept can involve multiple activities sharing the same space (and infrastructure such as shared electricity) without being physically connected to each other. 229 Sharing space and resources is considered by some to be a way of increasing social licence to operate. 100 However, there can be disagreements over how to use space, even if it could serve multiple purposes.…”

“…Co‐location and multiuse platforms or floating artificial islands, where marine aquaculture is combined with other activities such as offshore energy production, are sometimes suggested as a way of reducing conflict, sharing resources and optimising use of space 225–228 . In multiuse platforms, activities are integrated within the same structure(s), whereas co‐location as a broader concept can involve multiple activities sharing the same space (and infrastructure such as shared electricity) without being physically connected to each other 229 …”

The Game of Guwarra: A game theory-based decision-making framework for site selection of offshore wind farms in Australia

“…Australia is, however, very new to the offshore renewable energy industry with twelve new proposals, two projects in early-stage (Bass offshore windfarm and project Gippsland) and one existing development project, the Star of the South, which is in the environmental assessment phase and estimated to become operational in 2025. Furthermore, research into renewable energy in the Australian offshore environment has been minimal, including Aryai et al (2021), Messali and Diesendorf (2009) and Boelen et al (2010).…”