Hannover home to the world’s largest wave machine

Leibniz University Hannover (LUH) and Technische Universität Braunschweig (TU BS) have, in recent years, designed and (at considerable cost) extended the new Large Wave Current Flume (GWK+) in the Marienwerder district of Hannover. Over 35 million euros have been invested to greatly advance energy-transition research using the GWK+. Among the focuses of study here are foundation structures (both fixed and floating) for offshore wind turbines. Today, this item of large-scale research infrastructure – unique worldwide – was put into service in the presence of Robert Habeck (Germany’s federal minister for economic affairs and climate action) and Stephan Weil (Lower Saxony’s minister president), along with the presidents of the participating universities and those in charge of this research. 

Making waves … and currents at the same time

After a ceremonial pressing of the installation’s on-button, the first wave – an impressive three metres high – formed in the 300-metre-long wave current plume. The extension has given this item of large-scale research infrastructure a high-performance tidal-current system, a deep section for studying foundation structures for offshore wind turbines, and a powerful wave machine for generating ocean waves of up to three metres in height. Thanks to these modifications, it is now possible to create waves and currents at the same time. This represents a new superlative for Hannover, since no other set-up in the world has this capability.

Germany’s economic-affairs and climate action minister, Robert Habeck

“Wind energy is playing, and will continue to play, the main role in supplying Germany with power. Due to the growing demand for electricity caused by electrification in further sectors, such as use of electric vehicles and heat pumps for heating buildings, use of wind energy needs to be expanded both rapidly and efficiently. The wave current flume in Hannover will make a major contribution here by enabling studies on how to optimize offshore foundations. In this way, development of wind energy at sea can be made even more cost-effective and reliable. For this reason, and also because of the manifold other research aspects this flume will make possible, the research funding provided by the Ministry – totalling some 35 million euros – is a wise and future-proof investment,” stressed Germany’s economic-affairs and climate action minister Robert Habeck in his welcome address.

Minister president Stephan Weil

Stephan Weil, Lower Saxony’s minister president, was equally emphatic: “I’m delighted that Lower Saxony is home to this wave current flume, a piece of technology unique worldwide. This will open up – to both research and industry – entire new avenues for the development of offshore wind turbines. And in the area of coastal protection. which is especially important in Lower Saxony, simultaneous generation of swell and currents can be further explored and improved. All in all, it really is a most impressive facility, on which I can only congratulate all those involved.”

Coastal Research Centre (FZK)

Since the Large Wave Flume (GWK) went into operation in 1983, a great many ground-breaking research projects have been carried out within this unit. Approaches adopted in (and the needs of) research have changed radically in the recent past. Previously, it was only waves that could be generated. With a view to expanding marine renewable energy (offshore wind power, tidal and wave energy, and other sources), there is a greater focus on approaches to installation, and to operations, over the life cycle of these structures, as well as on impact of tidal flows. Therefore, to meet the requirements of research and industry concerning expansion and operation of renewable energy, 2017 saw Germany’s Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK, formerly BMWi) approve a research project called ‘marTech – Testing and Development of Renewable Maritime Technologies for Reliable and Sustainable Energy Supply’ at the request of the participating universities, LUH und TU BS. Since then, more than 35 million euros has been invested in an upgrade resulting in Hannover’s Large Wave Current Flume (GWK+). Lower Saxony’s Ministry of Science and Culture (MWK) helped with planning and land purchase matters to the tune of around 1.4 million euros. The GWK+ will be jointly operated by LUH and TU BS under the aegis of the Coastal Research Centre (FZK).

President of LUH, Professor Volker Epping

Professor Angela Ittel, president of the Technical University of Braunschweig, and Professor Volker Epping, president of Leibniz University Hannover, are delighted that the GWK+ is now ready for research to start. “With this research infrastructure, a major contribution can be made to the trialling and development of renewable-energy technologies both at sea (i.e. offshore) and derived from the sea. This also directly facilitates one of our major research focuses, energy, which Leibniz University has incorporated – in an interdisciplinary fashion – from many different strands. With the means at our disposal at Leibniz University we will, in the scientific community, help to further accelerate the process by which our energy systems are transformed at both national and regional level,” emphasized Professor Volker Epping.

President of TU BS, Professor Angela Ittel

“With our outstanding research enabled by the Large Wave Current Flume, we are contributing to Europe’s energy transition and energy security. This unique item of research infrastructure means we can study offshore wind turbines and tidal-energy installations under controlled conditions. And this is strengthening Lower Saxony, as well as Germany overall, as a location for scientific and business excellence. In conjunction with our partners from industry, we are devising solutions that are technologically mature and highly competitive on the international stage,” said TU BS president Professor Angela Ittel.

A wide range of research applications 

The guests admiring the extended wave current flume were privileged to have the scientific and technical background explained by two leading researchers in their field: Professors Torsten Schlurmann and Nils Goseberg, of Leibniz University Hannover and the Technical University of Braunschweig respectively. (Both are also on the board of directors of the Coastal Research Centre (FZK)). “Here we can look at simultaneous impact loading caused by swell and currents on a large scale, in a set-up big enough to mimic the real world,” said Professor Schlurmann. Steeper and higher waves of the kind predicted under climate change scenarios can, in the future, be recreated experimentally, and the stresses on structures can be simulated. Another new addition, a circulating current system, can be used to study – for the first time – tidal currents that behave like those occurring in the sea. “The new deep section makes it possible to simulate conditions to which the sea floor portion of offshore wine energy turbines is subject, and to investigate movements within the floor and the turbine,” explained Professor Goseberg.

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