DAE was one of the main participants, as well as the project manager of the Greek-Chinese research programme “Seawind – Performance based engineering of offshore wind turbines”.

In this project a holistic methodology for performance-based wind/wave engineering was proposed to develop criteria for the feasibility evaluation and selection of optimum configuration of offshore wind turbines. Considering both fixed and floating alternatives, for intermediate water depths and for wind/wave conditions encountered in Greek and Chinese seas, a comprehensive probabilistic approach was formulated to optimize engineering decisions and associated initial and total investment costs within the expected lifetime of a wind park. Thus, performance based design methodologies that are widely used in earthquake engineering, were evolved for wind/wave engineering, a process posing significant scientific and technological challenges and promises. This research effort is in line with recent strong trends towards renewable energy sources world-wide and in Greece and China in particular.

To that effect, a consortium of participants from industry and the academia came together, encompassing all aspects of design, construction and operation of wind turbines. The consortium included the following Greek and Chinese research teams:

-          Steel Structures Institute - National Technical University of Athens

-          TERNA ENERGY S.A.

-          Hydraulic Engineering Laboratory - University of Patras

-          Harbin Institute of Technology - Center of Structural Monitoring and Control

-          China Power Engineering Consulting Group Corporation

The project improved substantially the current state of the art in the initial selection, design and operation of offshore wind turbines, with emphasis on local conditions that are characteristic of Greece and China, thus facilitating investments in this field in both countries, with many direct (financial) and indirect (environmental) benefits.