This year’s edition of DNV’s flagship Energy Transition Outlook was abundantly clear in its conclusion that the transition is still in the starting gates. Green energy still isn’t absorbing all of the world’s new energy demand and fossil fuels still aren’t being replaced in absolute terms.
For centuries, our oceans and seas have helped power the global economy. Central to this has been innovation and a pioneering spirit. From clippers shipping goods around the globe, to divers and submariners exploring deep below the waves and communicators installing inter-continental submarine cables, each evoked fresh thinking to achieve ambitions.
The US offshore wind industry is at a critical juncture. In the past year it has seen new opportunities and made remarkable progress, but also faces serious challenges. It needs new business partners in a variety of sectors including port infrastructure, shipbuilding, and maritime operations.
Beneath our oceans' surfaces lies a complex tapestry of marine habitats which are increasingly impacted by human exploitation and climate change. Many countries have ambitious targets for the management of marine protected environments (MPAs), but effectiveness has been limited by conventional monitoring methods.
The market for uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs) is booming. A recent report published by Allied Market Research suggests that the global market for USVs in 2022 generated $0.92 billion and is anticipated to generate $2.7 billion by 2032—that is a staggering CAGR of 11.5% over the next decade.
For years, some version of H. James Harrington’s process-improvement maxim, “If you can’t measure something you can’t understand it,” has floated around corporate boardrooms. That is equally true in ocean science labs and research ships around the world. But if we are going to stave off the worst that the climate crisis has in store for us and not hand a dangerously overheated world over to our children, that must change.
As the offshore energy industry looks for ways to reduce environmental footprints and offer safer, more operationally efficient, and cost-effective services, the industry will look toward uncrewed solutions to light the path forward.
Humanity has been observing Earth’s oceans for centuries, but we’ve barely scratched the surface of all there is to know. This lack of exploration is largely due to the high cost and logistical challenges of accessing the ocean, traditionally undertaken by large ships that are expensive to build and operate.
In the realm of offshore exploration, these are unprecedented times. Never has there been such a pronounced need to systematically leverage ocean-based energy resources to sustainably meet global energy demands. For many who work in the ocean technology sector, this propels us to challenge operational conventions and, as appropriate, apply fresh thinking and practical solutions to solving the associated complexities of the so-called energy transition.
Ocean News & Technology
is a publication of TSC Strategic
8502 SW Kansas Ave
Stuart, FL 34997
info@tscpublishing.com
