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Belgium’s Blue Accelerator, a blue economy testing platform, has undergone an upgrade as part of the Test@Sea project, enhancing offshore testing infrastructure with new frames and sensors for materials research. According to Blue Accelerator, the expansion was completed in three phases. In fall 2024, inspection company CSpect used an underwater drone equipped with cameras, sonar, and sensors to conduct a visual inspection inside the monopile. Based on the findings, a climbing team from All Works at Height removed the J-Tubes from the monopile, clearing space for new infrastructure. In January 2025, new frames, sensors, and test plates were installed inside and outside the monopile, Blue Accelerator noted. The upgrades are part of the Test@Sea project, developed in collaboration with VLIZ-Flanders Marine Institute, Sirris, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Ghent University, and De Blauwe Cluster (Blue Cluster). The initiative aims to advance pre-standardization processes and improve offshore testing methods while expanding the site with floating and submersible structures. “Thanks to the expansion of testing capacity, we are therefore meeting market demands within the Blue Economy sector,” said Blue Accelerator in a social media post. Blue Accelerator, a maritime innovation and development platform operated by POM West Flanders, is located 500 meters from the eastern breakwater of Ostend, Belgium. The site serves as a testing hub for companies, research centers, and knowledge institutions looking to validate new technologies for the blue economy. The platform supports offshore innovation by enabling tests below, above, and at sea level. In October 2022, Danish clean energy start-up Exowave deployed a scale model of its wave energy technology at Blue Accelerator, testing its performance in real offshore conditions. |
