Thematic Center for Marine Energy

Introduction

Thematic Center for Marine Energy, through multidisciplinary collaboration, conducts research on complex marine energy issues and is currently executing the following tasks:

1. Development of a 100 kW Floating Kuroshio Turbine (FKT): A 100 kW floating turbine generator is under development, with towing power tests scheduled for 2025 to evaluate buoyancy, balance, and generation performance. From 2026 to 2027, long-term field performance and mooring reliability tests will be conducted in real marine environments, leading to the establishment of Taiwan’s first demonstration site for ocean current power generation.
2. Long-term observation of ocean physical properties: Continuous in-situ observations are being carried out in the optimal power generation zones, with particular emphasis on the temporal variability of the Kuroshio Current. These data provide essential parameters for simulating long-term trends and large-scale climate variability.
3. Seafloor topography, geology, and seismic investigations: The Center is conducting Taiwan’s first quasi-three-dimensional geophysical exploration in the selected generation areas, including high-resolution seafloor mapping and geological surveys. These efforts are complemented with broadband ocean-bottom seismometer data to ensure geotechnical safety and to assess seismic hazards.
4. High-resolution data-assimilative ocean modeling: Advanced ocean circulation models with high-resolution data assimilation are being developed to evaluate optimal generation sites and to investigate turbine–current–turbulence interactions, along with their environmental implications.

Through these cutting-edge research initiatives and pragmatic solutions, the Center aims to lead the national development of marine renewable energy and contribute substantially to Taiwan’s transition toward sustainable ocean energy utilization.

Laboratory contact number:06-2167911

Executive Officer

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Chau-Ron Wu chauron@as.edu.tw

Major Milestones of the Project

2025

• Development and testing of ocean current turbines:
• Completion of towing and power generation tests for the 100 kW floating ocean current turbine, verifying buoyancy, balance, and generation performance, and collecting operational data under varying sea states to support subsequent mooring and long-term testing.
• Establishment of an automatic buoyancy adjustment system to enhance operational control and safety under transient currents and adverse ocean conditions.
• Marine environment observation and analysis:
• Scientific validation of test sites: Short-term vessel-based surveys and long-term moored observations of the Kuroshio will be conducted to identify optimal test locations, ensuring suitable geotechnical conditions, current stability, and deployment potential.
• High-resolution geophysical safety assessment: Completion of detailed bathymetry, sediment, and seismic monitoring, producing geological reports to guide mooring and subsea cable design.
• High-precision modeling and AI-based forecasting: Development of nested data-assimilative models achieving correlation above 0.85 with in-situ ADCP measurements, and implementation of AI-based short-term (3–7 days) Kuroshio current predictions with errors controlled within 10%.

2026-2027

• Long-term real-sea turbine testing: Extended field testing of the 100 kW floating turbine to assess long-term performance, mooring reliability, and subsea cable durability, while accumulating experience in marine engineering operations.
• Planning and deployment of turbine arrays: Design and preliminary deployment of multiple 100 kW or higher-capacity turbines at the selected sites, including wake flow and stability analyses, to validate technical feasibility and economic viability, thereby fostering domestic industrial participation.
• Long-term observation and site planning: Continuous environmental monitoring at selected zones, coupled with wake-field analysis, to identify MW-scale generation sites and support the design of large-scale deployment schemes.
• Ultra-high-resolution modeling and turbulence analysis: Development of site-specific high-resolution circulation models to simulate flow disturbances and turbulence induced by turbine arrays, identifying optimal spatial configurations.
• Quasi-3D geophysical exploration and seismic risk management: Integration of seismic energy spectral analysis, fine-scale stratigraphic profiling, and core sampling to develop Taiwan’s first quasi-3D geophysical survey system, producing comprehensive seismic catalogs and risk assessments for large-scale generation sites.

2050

• Lead the establishment of GW-scale ocean current power plants by the domestic industry, thereby advancing national energy self-sufficiency and supporting the low-carbon transition.
• Support the development of comprehensive operation and maintenance frameworks to ensure reliable performance of power plants under extreme marine environments, and demonstrate both economic viability and environmental value through long-term operational records.