This article appeared in our 2018 annual report. Click here to read the full document.
The marine industry is changing rapidly and is paying greater attention to alternative energy sources. Naval Energies is using the 3DEXPERIENCE platform to develop new offshore wind turbines and ways of recovering energy from deep sea water.
Naval Energies, which is majority-owned by Naval Group, is a leading player in marine renewable energies. It is developing systems that generate electricity from two different sources: offshore wind and ocean thermal energy conversion. Floating offshore wind farms capture energy from the wind in parts of the sea that cannot be seen from the shore, using a floating structure fixed to the sea bed by an anchoring system. The second source is deep sea water, which is brought to the surface as part of a method called Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion or OTEC. OTEC plants harness the characteristics of deep sea water for multiple applications: power generation, SWAC (Sea Water Air Conditioning), desalination, industrial cooling, ORC (Organic Rankine Cycle) and fish farming. In both of these segments, Naval Energies handles the entire product lifecycle – design, construction, installation and maintenance – and covers the whole value chain, both at sea and on land.
A strategic choice
“The sea is a renewable energy source that can help meet the needs of the world’s growing population, while ensuring zero carbon emissions during the operational phase,” explains Laurent Schneider-Maunoury, CEO of Naval Energies. “The 3DEXPERIENCE platform was a strategic choice, allowing us to speed up the development of our technological solutions. Cloud-based technology has enabled us to deploy the platform and adjust the way we use it, from the design process to manufacturing and operations.” Naval Energies will use the platform’s Designed For Sea and On Time To Sea solutions, along with SIMULIA for structural calculations and DELMIA for marine operations. The 3DEXPERIENCE platform will be used for program management, engineering and analysis with respect to semi-submersible floats, anchoring systems, subsea cables and connection solutions for offshore wind farms. It provides a fully secure structure within which Naval Energies can work with its network of partners, reuse and share existing expertise and reduce program development time and cost.
