Offshore energy
Oceans contain abundant sources of energy such as wind, waves, tides, solar and biomass. These sources can be transformed into other energy forms like electricity, synthetic fuels or gasses. Further, oceans play a major role in large-scale energy transport to deliver clean, secure and sustainable energy to end-users. Coastal and offshore hubs will facilitate integration solutions for inter-sector and inter-region connections. Ghent University can fully support energy transitions, with maximal preservation or even creation of valuable marine ecosystems.
.Global demand for fossil fuels is increasing very rapidly. Oil demand has risen by as much as 2½ million barrels per day in recent years. This is inevitably putting pressure on supply, which, along with the current instability in some oil producing countries, is leading to volatility and high prices.
Indigenous resources in Europe are diminishing and over time, remaining fossil fuel resources will become more concentrated in a rather small number of countries. Therefore, energy interdependence is becoming a global issue, with major shared concerns.
One concern is investment. Massive investment is needed throughout the global energy system to meet future energy demand. A second concern is global warming. Even though there are differences in responsibilities and in approaches to dealing with greenhouse gas emissions, global warming is most definitely a shared concern. To make its contribution to stabilising global climate change, the EU will need to reduce its CO2 emissions by at least 50% over the next decades, and other countries will have to play their part. We are beginning to realise the magnitude and the urgency of this challenge.
It is clear that these energy challenges require a global response: a new energy system, based on effective collaboration between producers and consumers, efforts to increase energy efficiency worldwide and a quantum leap in the production of renewable and low carbon energy.
We provide knowledge and expertise on topics like:
- Wind energy
- Wave and tidal energy
- Electrical energy
- Materials and Metals
- Mechanic constructions and systems
