Do you know how materials and components from offshore wind projects can be removed or reused in a safe and smart way? Do you have ideas for extending the lifespan of components or entire wind farms, or for setting up new material reuse chains? Do you see opportunities to minimise the impact on nature or even contribute to ecosystem restoration during the decommissioning of wind farms? Then this is your chance to make an impact. TKI Offshore Energy is organizing the open innovation call: Circular End-of-Life solutions within Offshore Energy.

What is TKI Offshore Energy looking for?

For this open call, the organiser is looking for projects that contribute to circular end-of-life solutions for a future-proof offshore energy system.

Belangrijk om te weten:

• Request the templates for submitting your project proposal: PPS-toeslag@tki-offshoreenergy.nl
• Opening date: 22 May 2025
• Closing date: 1 July 2025 at 12:00 (noon)
• Project must be completed before: 31 December 2030
• Available budget: €1,000,000, with a maximum of €200,000 per project

What is this call focused on?

The offshore energy transition requires circular solutions. Offshore installations use large amounts of valuable and critical materials, many of which are at risk of being lost over time. This call focuses on three innovative themes:

1. Life-time extension
2. Decommissioning and logistics
3. Reuse and recycling of materials

Think of smart designs that make removal or reuse easier, modular components, recycling of scarce materials, and sustainable logistics. Or equipment that enables efficient and non-disruptive removal, transport, and storage of offshore wind farm components. The focus is also on innovative recycling technologies and sustainable decommissioning methods to enable the circular economy and minimize environmental impact.

Examples of relevant topics:

Life-time extension: How can we smartly extend the life-time of offshore wind farms?

• Smart sensors and monitoring solutions to measure and model real-time load and degradation of components.
• Predictive maintenance based on data to prevent failures and use components longer.
• Development of modular or easily replaceable and remanufacturable components.
• Digital twins focused on degradation, material damage, and structural integrity.

Decommissioning and logistics: What are efficient and sustainable ways to safely and circularly remove installations?

• Circular logistics chains for dismantling and return flows.
• Solutions for monitoring and reducing ecological impact during decommissioning, including technologies that preserve biodiversity or contribute to marine ecosystem restoration.
• Innovative methods for underwater or high-altitude disassembly.
• Nature-sensitive techniques for removing foundations and cables.
• Tools and systems to minimize the impact of dismantling on the ecosystem.

Tools and systems to minimise the environmental impact of dismantling: How can we recover or reuse high-quality materials in a way that preserves as many of their original material properties as possible?

• Innovations for the reuse of steel, copper, aluminium, and critical raw materials (including magnets used in wind turbine generators).
• Technological solutions for recycling rotor blades (e.g. chemical recycling or reversible polymers), particularly for solutions that are cost-effective even with low volumes of material flows.
• Insight into the origin and traceability of materials (Digital Product Passport)

Possible topics are not limited to this list. Are you unsure whether your topic is relevant for this Open Innovation Call? Please get in touch via: PPS-toeslag@tki-offshoreenergy.nl

Who can apply?

This call is open to PPP projects, carried out by a consortium consisting of at least one Dutch company and one knowledge institution (e.g. a university, university of applied sciences, or research institute). Consortia of which an SME is part will receive extra points during the assessment.

Permitted types of research:

• Fundamental Research (FO)* (Maximum subsidy rate: 80%)
• Non-Economic Activities (NEA)* (Maximum subsidy rate: 80%)
• Industrial Research (IO) (Maximum subsidy rate: 50%)
• Experimental Development (EO) (Maximum subsidy rate: 25%)

* This type of activity can usually only be carried out by the knowledge institution.

Do you have a relevant project idea, but no suitable partner for this project?
Mail to: PPS-toeslag@tki-offshoreenergy.nl 

Apply for subsidy

Project proposals must be submitted before 1 July 2025 at 12:00 (noon), and require the following documents:

• A project plan
• A budget
• A (draft) cooperation agreement

More information and registration