Advancing marine energy standards together
Advancing marine energy standards together: a great week for innovation, collaboration, and Dutch contribution at the IEC TC 114 Plenary Meeting in Dublin!
While it may not make headlines, the work done under IEC TC 114—developing international technical standards for marine energy—is quietly powering the future of sustainable energy.
Offshore For Sure (O4S) | 15/05/2025
At the plenary meeting in Dublin, 60 experts from 18 countries gathered not just to review documents, but to shape the foundation upon which wave, tidal, OTEC and river current energy can scale safely and reliably across the globe. Yes—it might look like a room full of engineers and policy wonks debating voltage thresholds and mooring definitions… but this is exactly where the future of clean ocean energy becomes real.
These standards are the hidden enablers of:
🔹 Investor confidence
🔹 Grid integration
🔹 Public safety
🔹 International collaboration
Koen Kobes (NEN), Jonathan Colby (IEC chair), Peter Scheijgrond (Bluespring / Campus@Sea)
The key takeaway? Standards may be silent, but their impact speaks volumes. It’s time to shine a light on the blueprints and their creators. Without these foundations, promising technologies risk staying stuck in the prototype phase.
The Dutch were represented by:
Peter Scheijgrond (Head of Delegation), contributed as an expert in two Project Teams:
- Technology Qualification – sharing feedback from its application in the Offshore For Sure project
- Biofouling Measurement – preparing future application in the Offshore Proof project
Koen Kobes (secretary of the Dutch mirror committee, NEC 114, NEN), helped give the Dutch a stronger voice in global standardisation.
A heartfelt thanks to Jonathan Colby, who has chaired TC 114 with dedication and vision for the past 9 years. As this was one of his final plenaries in this role, we thank him for his outstanding leadership in keeping this global expert community connected and energised.
A big thank you to National Standards Authority of Ireland and DCU Water Institute for your warm hospitality and excellent support—it made for a truly smooth and productive gathering.
Project team that is developing a technical specification on Measurement of Biofouling, with Peter Scheijgrond, George Bonheyo (PNNL), Fiona Regan (DCU), Krish Thiagaragan Sharman (UMass), Terry Griffiths (Aurora), prof. Cho (KRISO).
