Mission
EcoFOSS It is an innovative initiative focused on developing sustainable energy solutions in offshore marine environments, aligned with the objectives of the energy transition in Spain. Its main mission is to promote the design and deployment of floating high-voltage substations, capable of efficiently and environmentally friendly transmitting the energy generated in offshore wind farms.
As a differentiating element, the project integrates a renewable hydrogen plant intended to power auxiliary services in emergency or maintenance situations, reinforcing the autonomy and operational resilience of the system. The scope of this project in the hydrogen sector focuses on the marinization of electrolysis technologies (PEM and AEM) and fuel cells, adapting them to the dynamic and demanding conditions of the marine environment. This technological adaptation seeks to guarantee their operability, safety, and efficiency in scenarios characterized by movement, humidity, salinity, and energy variability.
Vision
EcoFOSS promotes the development of mature hydrogen technologies in the marine environment and contributes to the growth of an innovative, resilient national value chain aligned with European decarbonization and energy transition objectives. EcoFOSS strengthens Spanish industrial competitiveness, positioning the country as an international benchmark in marine and sustainable energy solutions.
“RESEARCH ON ZERO EMISSION FLOATING SUBSTATION FOR DEPLOYMENT OF MARINE ENERGIES (ECOFOSS)”
ECOFOSS is an innovative initiative led by Navantia Seanergies through COEX Green Energies, with the participation of Red Eléctrica Española, Sener, Ocean Ecostructures, Ditrel, and Uptech Sensing. Its main objective is the design and validation of a zero-emission, high-voltage floating electrical substation for deep-water offshore wind farms.
During the ECOFOSS project, pioneering industrial research was carried out focusing on three key areas for the development of green hydrogen in the marine environment:
- Offshore green hydrogen production, using electrolysis powered by offshore wind energy to generate hydrogen sustainably.
- Safe storage of green hydrogen, ensuring its stability and availability for later use.
- Consumption of high-purity green hydrogen in fuel cells, with the aim of producing electricity without greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
The project activities began with a conceptualization phase, which included a review of the state of the art and an analysis of the various trade-offs between technologies in the hydrogen value chain (production, storage, and end use). Specific requirements such as weight, rapid response time, and energy intermittency were also evaluated. An independent entity collaborated on standardization aspects. Furthermore, a preliminary risk analysis was conducted regarding the implementation of a hydrogen-based energy production plant in an offshore environment.
With this initial information, a conceptual design of the hydrogen-based power production plant was proposed, including a space reserve, a preliminary estimate of masses and volumes, with the aim of feeding the design of the floating platform.
In a second phase, the aim was to understand and validate the operational behavior of the selected technologies under dynamic conditions specific to the application, in a laboratory environment. To this end, the technical specifications of the equipment were defined at a reduced scale, which would later be tested on the test bench, focusing on three technologies: PEM electrolysis, AEM electrolysis, and PEM fuel cell.
For the tests, a specific test bench was developed that would service the equipment through cooling systems, management of inputs, products and by-products, and that incorporated safety functions typical of this type of facility, such as ventilation, air quality monitoring and fire extinguishing systems.
The test bench was equipped with a simulation platform to measure the effect of movement generated by waves, wind, and currents on the systems, allowing for the analysis of the efficiency and safety of their operation in a simulated environment and on a reduced scale.,
It is worth noting that work was done on integrating the equipment and sensors within a common control system, based on industrial protocols (mainly Modbus TCP/IP), which allows the reading and writing of signals for remote operation of the bank and equipment, as well as the monitoring of critical variables and advanced analysis of operational results.
Finally, the third phase focused on reviewing the conceptual design, incorporating feedback obtained from the experimental results. This stage allowed the technological validation cycle to be completed, adjusting the design based on the actual behavior observed under simulated conditions.
The integration of this feedback The technical aspect not only improved the accuracy of the design, but also allowed for the identification of optimization opportunities in key areas such as energy efficiency, structural robustness, and operational safety.
The EcoFoss project allows progress in areas such as:
- Technical design optimization through experimental validation under simulated conditions.
- Improved operational reliability by identifying and correcting potential limitations in early stages.
- Strengthening training for operation and maintenance, facilitating technology transfer and the training of specialized personnel.
- Progress in the marinization of technologies, adapting them to the demands of the marine environment.
- Contribution to the effective deployment of hydrogen-based solutions in environments offshore, driving the energy transition and decarbonization of the maritime sector.
ECOFOSS is part of the INNCODIS flagship project, an initiative funded through the PERTE NAVAL call for proposals, launched by the Ministry of Industry and Tourism and belonging to the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (PRTR). It is financed by the European Union – Next Generation EU.
