WHOI Center for Marine Robotics 2nd Annual Marine Robotics Entrepreneurship Forum: Panel 1 (Emerging Markets and Market Trends: The view from Industry)

1. “Necessity is the Mother of
Invention”
Energy Market Trends:
The New Energy Perspective
Jay A. Borkland, PG
APEX Companies, LLC
and
Tufts University, School of Engineering

2. Traditional Markets: OIL AND GAS
Known & Well Developed Industry with Continuing Challenges:
Always a Need for Technology and Innovation

3. Growth Markets:
CABLES, PIPELINES, POWER PLANTS
Changes in the Energy Market are Driving the Need for
Re-habbing Old and Installing New Infrastructure

4. Current Industry Practices Trend to the Traditional:
Diver & Vessel Assisted Investigation Methods

5. Recent Cable Survey Through UXO Field:
Cost 5X Estimate ($150k est. à $750k actual)
Ample Opportunity for the
Application of Technology
Innovation to Automate and
Drive Down Costs
Need for Innovation = Opportunity

6. “The Early Bird Catches the Wind”
The Newest Opportunity:
Offshore Wind
Market Case:
Promise; Challenge; Opportunity.

7. WIND POWER: FROM THE OCEAN
THE FUTURE ENERGY JUST AROUND THE CORNER

8. In The Beginning
there were
Danish……
…..Windmills
1991
Modern Offshore Wind Comes Online in the 1990’s

9. Offshore Wind Installed in Denmark: 1980 – 2012

10. European Market:
• Dozens of Wind Farms;
• 10’s of Billions of Euros;
• 1,000’s of Workers
• Still Developing
Transformative

11. Why It Will Happen in the U.S.
Source: NREL – National Renewable Energy Laboratory

12. 14.5 GW Coal-Fired Power Plants
Retired in 2015 in U.S.
Source: International
Business Times 3-9-16
NREL
Offshore Wind Power
Generation
Potential in U.S. = 16 GW
by 2030

13. Size of US Market Potential:
• Atlantic = 9-10 Windfarms x $2B-$3B Each
• Gulf = 3-5 Windfarms x $2B-$3B Each
• Pacific = 5-7 Windfarms x $2B-$3B Each
$34 - $66 Billion
Timing: 2016 – 2030 Development
Ø Major Problem for
US is Cost of Power
Ø Must Be Cost
Competitive

14. SURVEYS, STUDIES, INSPECTIONS
• Regulations Borrowed
from Oil & Gas (BOEM)
• Translation Issues
• Creates Opportunity for
Technical Innovation to
Reduce Cost
• Major Cost is Site Characterization
and Site Preparation:

15. Geophysical & Geotechnical Studies
Ø Multiple Surveys:
§ Generalized Windfarm Siting / Layout;
§ Pre-Design Detailed Surveys: Towers &
Cables;
§ Pre-Construction Detailed Surveys;
§ Post-Construction Surveys;
§ Periodic O&M Surveys.
Ø Multiple Objectives:
§ Sea Bottom Conditions;
§ Sub-Bottom Conditions;
§ Hazard Identification;
§ Historical / Cultural Resources
Mapping

16. Specific Needs Example:
Sub-Bottom Mapping
Ø For In-Sediment Hazard
Identification
§ New England Glaciated Terrain;
§ Potential for Boulders & Cobbles;
§ Challenging Engineering Conditions
Ø For “Bank-ability” and Regulatory
Certainty
Ø Currently Ultra High Resolution
Seismic (UHRS) Streamer to Augment
Sub-bottom Profiler
Ø Currently Expensive – Need to cut
costs.

17. Immediate Need:
Ø Develop Quick & Lower Cost
Sub-Bottom Mapping Technique;
Ø Build off of Sub-Bottom Profiler
and Seismic Streamer
Technology;
Ø Goal: Identify Boulder / Large
Cobble Sized Objects in
Sediments;
Ø Goal: Identify Detailed
Geological Layering.

18. Ø Survey Vessel PSO
(Protected Species
Observer);
Ø Acoustic Species
Identification Systems;
Ø Acoustic Network
Modelling for Species
Mapping.
Marine Biotic Mapping & Avoidance
Opportunities:
From: SCOR

19. • High Resolution, Full
Sonification;
• Real Time / Full Time
Data Collection;
• Automation and
Streamlined Processing.
Construction Management
and O&M Needs:

20. Ø Drones for AUV and ASV
Automated Mapping;
Ø Autonomous Underwater
Vehicles;
Ø Autonomous Surface
Vehicles;
Ø Robotics.
OSW Technology Opportunities

21. What is it Going to Take?
Challenge Management for Opportunity Capture
• Pa#ence, Perseverence
• Public Educa#on
• Public Official Educa#on
• Industry Educa#on
• Treasure Hunt for $
• Cajoling, Begging, Head Down Obs#nate Stubbornness
• Coopera#on
• Connec#ons, Communica#on, Sharing Ideas, Working
Together
• Think outside the box – team up with non-tradi#onal en##es:
NASA, BOEM, DOE, etc…
Example: Team up with:

22. Ø U.S. Offshore Wind Industry Needs
Cost Reducing Technological
Innovation……….