The Ocean Energy Safety Institute (OESI) is pleased to announce it will fund four proposals for research to improve the safety and environmental sustainability of Marine Energy development. The OESI received 18 project proposals for three distinct research pathways in response to the Marine Energy Request for Proposals (RFP). Total funding for the four research projects selected will reach $1,099,672 pending successful contract negotiations.
Organized under an agreement between the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), Department of Energy (DOE), and Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES), the OESI is a consortium of industry, national labs, NGOs, and academia created to support the development of critical safety and environmental improvements for all offshore energy activities, including renewable and traditional energy. Earlier this year, the OESI announced 10 awards in the Oil & Gas application area which are currently in contracting phase with a total value of $3,885,057. Grant awards for wind energy research proposals will be announced in the coming weeks/months.
Funding will be awarded to the following project titles and lead research organizations:
| Project Title | Lead Organization | Requested Amount |
|---|---|---|
| M-T1-P1.1 Mapping use cases and connecting small-scale marine energy solutions to enhance the safety, security, and sustainability of oil & gas operations | ||
| Full mapping to use-case validation for Small-scale Wave Energy Solutions to enhance 3S of Offshore Oil & Gas operations | Texas A&M University | $262,921 |
| Application of Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) Systems for Powering of Safety Monitoring Systems of Offshore Oil and Gas Operations | Argonne National Laboratory |
$200,000 |
| M-T1-P1.3 Identification of recommended minimum system and personnel safety considerations for the design of marine energy technology | ||
| Establishing System and Personnel Safety Guidance/Recommendations for the Design and Operation of Marine Energy Technology | American Bureau of Shipping | $396,091 |
| M-T2-P2.1 Assessment of offshore oil & gas experience (best practices in the application of existing technology) to enhance utility-scale marine energy generation systems | ||
| Gap Analysis of Marine Energy Technology Best Practices | AMOG Consulting | $240,660 |
| TOTAL | $1,099,672 | |
