Hybrid Energy Systems for Offshore Applications: A volume in Hybrid Energy Systems

Hybrid energy systems for offshore applications are innovative technologies combining renewable and non-renewable power devices that require a performance assessment with respect to different aspects to address suitable choices in early design activities. This chapter defines the concept of sustainability and inherent safety for multi-criteria decision analysis of offshore hybrid energy systems. Technical, economic, environmental and societal pillars are presented for the sustainability assessment of the technologies, while key principles of the inherent safety approach are described to orient a safe process design at the offshore context. To evaluate and compare alternative options effectively, the use of performance assessment indicators addressing both sustainability and inherent safety is proposed. The availability in the existing literature of systematic indicator-based methodologies supporting decision-making in the analysis of offshore process and energy systems is finally discussed.