From Design to Deployment: Lessons Learned from Real-World Ocean Energy Projects
- Jul 14
- 3 min read
Updated: 6 days ago
At PRIMaRE 2026, Blackfish Engineering's Senior Design Engineer, Tom Adcock, delivered a keynote presentation exploring lessons learned from more than fifteen years of experience working on wave and tidal energy technologies. The presentation drew upon practical experience gained through the development, manufacture, deployment and operation of ocean energy converters, including projects such as the ReDAPT tidal turbine and Mocean's BlueX wave energy converter.
As the marine renewables sector moves towards larger-scale deployment, the industry's focus is increasingly shifting from proving concepts to delivering technologies that are reliable, maintainable and commercially viable throughout their lifecycle.
Designing for Installation, Not Just Operation
One of the most important lessons from offshore renewable energy projects is that successful deployment begins long before a device reaches the water.
Large offshore structures present numerous challenges related to lifting, transportation and installation. Changes in weight distribution, marine growth, floodable compartments, weather windows and vessel availability can all significantly influence deployment activities. For complex articulated structures, these challenges become even more demanding and require continuous review throughout the design process.
Validation Creates Valuable Learning
Simulation and analytical modelling remain critical engineering tools, but they cannot replace real-world testing.
Experience from full-scale testing programmes has repeatedly demonstrated the value of validating critical interfaces before deployment. In many cases, physical testing not only reduces project risk but also reveals behaviours and operational considerations that would otherwise remain undiscovered until far later in the project lifecycle.
Designing for Biofouling
Every offshore energy device must operate within a harsh and constantly changing marine environment.
Different locations, seasons and structural surfaces can exhibit significantly different biofouling characteristics. Understanding these variations is essential when selecting anti-fouling strategies, planning maintenance activities and forecasting long-term operational performance. Effective management of biofouling often requires balancing maintenance requirements, coating performance and operational costs.
Maintaining a Whole-System Perspective
Engineering success relies on understanding how individual systems contribute to wider project outcomes.
Subsystem requirements should be considered in the context of operational needs, commercial objectives and customer requirements. Maintaining this broader perspective helps ensure that engineering decisions support not only technical performance but also commercial viability and operational reliability.
Designing for Operations and Maintenance
Long-term success depends on more than successful deployment. Devices must also be accessible, maintainable and resilient in operation.
Planning maintenance strategies early, validating operational assumptions and preparing contingency plans can significantly improve reliability, reduce downtime and support more accurate operational cost forecasting.
Looking Ahead
The marine renewables sector has made significant progress over the last decade. As the industry continues to scale, lessons learned from real-world deployments will remain essential in improving technology readiness, reducing risk, lowering costs and accelerating commercialisation.
At Blackfish Engineering, these practical lessons continue to inform our work across wave, tidal and offshore renewable energy projects, helping our clients move from concept through to successful deployment.
Whether you're developing a new wave energy converter, tidal technology or supporting offshore infrastructure, early consideration of deployment and operational challenges can significantly reduce project risk.
If you're developing offshore renewable technologies and would like to discuss design, manufacture, testing or deployment challenges, we'd be delighted to hear from you.
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