Feasibility study on an integrated offshore wind turbine and mariculture cage facility

A 1:36 scale model tests are carried out in the Near-shore Wave Basin (NSWB) at Tainan Hydraulics Laboratory (THL) with the jacket type offshore wind turbine foundation under the location of soft scour protection in the test area. The scour around the jacket type offshore wind turbine foundation exposed to wave and current was conducted in the NSWB with the mobile bed experiment. Two locations (water depth 12m and 16m) of the foundations are separately simulated in this study. From the experimental result, it shows that the scour protection effect of an integrated offshore wind turbine and cage net aquaculture facility as a soft countermeasure for scour protection of jacket type offshore wind turbine foundation is further evaluated in this study. Meanwhile, the detail analysis for stakeholders´ opinions on the integration of offshore wind farm and coastal aquaculture is also considered to obtain the important experience and knowledge; furthermore to understand the real demand for adjusting the feasibility of this soft countermeasure.