The Structures Laboratory and the Maritime Energy Systems Laboratory are now completed at Torgard outside Trondheim and were officially opened on Wednesday.
“In the Laboratory for Maritime Energy Systems, we contribute to building the engines and energy systems of the future for ships. In the Construction Laboratory, which is of a high international standard, materials and structures are tested and researched to ensure they can function in some of the world’s most inhospitable places. Both laboratories are helping to make Trondheim a key location in the global green transition,” said the Minister of Ocean Policy.
The laboratories are part of the major initiative Norwegian Ocean Technology Centre, which will have its main base at Tyholt in Trondheim but will also have facilities in other locations.
“The centre will contribute to the development of renewable energy, ocean monitoring, sustainable food production, and environmentally friendly ships,” the Minister of Ocean Policy concluded in her opening speech.
Important test laboratories
The main task of the Laboratory for Maritime Energy Systems is to contribute to the transition to making global shipping emissions-free by 2050. The Construction Laboratory is crucial for the development of floating offshore wind and other renewable energy sources in the ocean.
The opening was also attended by NTNU Rector Tor Grande, SINTEF CEO Alexandra Bech Gjørv, Trondheim Mayor Kent Ranum, and University of Bergen Rector Margareth Hagen.
“As Rector at NTNU, I am very pleased that the first two laboratories at the Norwegian Ocean Technology Centre are now in place here at Torgard. It’s a great day for marine and maritime research and education. Norway will not remain a world-leading ocean nation without targeted investments in research infrastructures like this,” said Tor Grande.
He also emphasized that this is a major national project that the ocean nation Norway can benefit from. He thanked forward-thinking politicians at the national, regional, and local levels for making the Norwegian Ocean Technology Centre a reality.
“The Ocean Technology Centre is the power hub that will ensure that Norway remains a leading nation in the green and digital transformation of ocean industries,” said SINTEF CEO Alexandra Bech Gjørv.
Ready for a new era
What exactly happens in these laboratories?
In the Construction Laboratory, tests that are critical for offshore wind and other energy developments are carried out. This includes testing how flexible pipelines and power cables withstand waves and currents in the harsh marine environment.
“The experiences we have from subsea power cables during the oil and gas era are crucial as Norway transitions to renewable energy and floating offshore wind. Now the laboratory is being reopened, ready for a new era,” says Naiquan Ye, Research Director for Marine Structures at SINTEF Ocean.
The old Structures Laboratory was established in the 1980s to ensure that Norway developed safe structures in the oil and gas industry. Now the laboratory is indispensable for testing and developing critical infrastructure in oceans worldwide.
Under the sea, there are miles of pipeline and cable systems in both Norwegian and international waters. Here, oil, gas, electricity, and internet data – essential components for society to function – are transported.
In the Structures Laboratory, the strength and lifespan of cables and pipeline systems are verified before they are installed at sea.
Seven fuel systems
In the Laboratory for Maritime Energy Systems, current and future fuels and energy systems are tested and researched.
“Here we are opening one of the world’s most advanced and complete laboratories for researching the energy systems of the future for ships,” says Anders Valland, Research Director at SINTEF Ocean.
The laboratory is equipped with seven separate fuel systems that can test known and future fuels. All are designed to replicate conditions on seagoing vessels.
Additionally, there is also a battery tester for electric propulsion of vessels.
“Maritime actors from around the world will have the opportunity to use a state-of-the-art research laboratory here. This will allow them to improve current propulsion systems and find new and sustainable solutions for their ships,” says Valland.
Transition to renewable energy sources
The laboratory is an important contributor to several projects, such as the newly started FME project MarTrans, where 65 partners from the maritime industry and research environments aim to reduce energy consumption and replace fossil fuels with renewable fuels to accelerate the green transition of the maritime sector.
“With this centre, we are putting ourselves in an even better position to be innovative in industries that are crucial for our country’s future. Today, the first two laboratories are opening. There is still much to be done, but this is an important milestone and a breakthrough that fills us with enthusiasm and optimism. We are on our way!” said Kent Ranum, Mayor of Trondheim.
For nearly 75 years, researchers at NTNU and SINTEF have taught and researched marine technology and mapped the oceans. This knowledge underpins the launch of the first two laboratories at the Norwegian Ocean Technology Centre.
Most of the laboratories will be based at Tyholt. These two, along with the Fjordlab part of the Norwegian Ocean Technology Centre, will be located elsewhere.
The SINTEF Foundation has invested approximately 300 million NOK in the buildings here.