Inspire
INSPIRE project
Innovative design and operation for rare earth material reduction and optimized lifetime for next generation offshore wind-based hydrogen production (INSPIRE) is funded by "Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership", a Horizon Europe co-funded partnership, in collaboration with the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), the Norwegian Research Council, and The Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO) from Belgium.
INSPIRE integrates floating wind farms together with hydrogen production to optimize the design, to reduce rare earth element (REE) usage, and to enhance the system lifetime.
INSPIRE core ambition
INSPIRE core ambition is to deliver innovative optimized design for REE reduction and AI-based optimized operation for an integrated hydrogen-wind system, as well as road maps for implementation for EU policy makers
Objectives
- Optimized green hydrogen system design methodology with minimum REEs
- AI-based wind-hydrogen production optimization for optimized lifetime
- Reference design of an optimized, open access, green hydrogen system
- Establish a pathway towards implementation in policy and industrial standards
Two Case studies with real world data aiming for TRL 4 -5
- INSPIRE 675 MW Green Hydrogen Farm
- An on-grid hydrogen production system from a virtual wind farm calibrated on the Belgian offshore wind cluster
The INSPIRE novelties and position
- up to 100% reduction of REEs in hydrogen production
- min 30% reduction of REEs in floating offshore wind
- new approach to REE reduction and optimized lifetime methodology and algorithm
- open access integrated design as EU research infrastructure
- risk reduction of Europe’s reliance on REEs and on the non-EU supply chain
- integrated transnational road maps for REE reduction and industrialization of innovations in wind-hydrogen for stakeholders and EU policy makers
INSPIRE impact
- Reduced REE and cost of renewable energy and renewable fuel and their value chains
- Enhanced sustainability of wind-hydrogen renewable energy and renewable fuels value chains (social, economic, environment)
- More effective market uptake of renewable energy and fuel technologies
The International Conference on European Energy Markets (EEM), 2025
The International Conference on European Energy Markets (EEM), 2025
Dissemination, communication and engagement of INSPIRE project with academia/research/industry/policy makers and other stakeholders took place during the following events:
- The International Conference on European Energy Markets (EEM), 2025, Lisbon, Portugal is a leading conference in Europe which covered the most recent developments in energy markets, https://eem25.pt/.
Wind Energy Science Conference (WESC) 2025
Wind Energy Science Conference (WESC) 2025
- From June 24 to 27, Nantes, France, hosted the Wind Energy Science Conference (WESC), bringing together more than 1,000 experts from around the world. Organized by Centrale Nantes and the Cité des Congrès, under the auspices of the EAWE* (European Academy of Wind Energy), this 5th edition combined scientific sessions, technical visits, and discussions with industry leaders. https://wesc2025.eu/,
EERA DeepWind 2025
EERA DeepWind 2025
EERA DeepWind 2025, 15-17 January 2025, Trondheim, is an international event, aiming to present the best ongoing research and innovation related to deep sea offshore wind farms, both bottom-fixed and floating. The conference has been developing every year since 2004, and is established as an important venue on deep sea offshore wind R&D organized by SINTEF, NTNU and EERA JP wind,
ICH2P 2025 and the International Symposium on Exergy, Energy and the Environment – IEEES 2025
ICH2P 2025 and the International Symposium on Exergy, Energy and the Environment – IEEES 2025
Participation, conference presentation, seminar discussions and engagement with stakeholders, academia and industry at the International Conference on Hydrogen Production – ICH2P 2025 and the International Symposium on Exergy, Energy and the Environment – IEEES 2025, organized by National Institute for Research, Development and Testing in Electrical Engineering – ICMET Craiova and the University of Craiova, December 14–18, 2025, Craiova, Romania
IMAM 2025 – 20th International Congress of the International Maritime Association of the Mediterranean
IMAM 2025 – 20th International Congress of the International Maritime Association of the Mediterranean
IMAM 2025 – 20th International Congress of the International Maritime Association of the Mediterranean, September 28 – October 3, 2025 | Crete, Greece.
The aim of the IMAM 2025 Congress was to provide a forum for academics, entrepreneurs and maritime professionals for presenting their novel works and fostering new collaborations in the fields of maritime engineering and marine technology. An excellent opportunity for interaction and collaboration with research, industry, marine/maritime stakeholders and policy makers.
2024: A joint declaration of offshore wind between Norway and Belgium
2024: A joint declaration of offshore wind between Norway and Belgium
A joint declaration of offshore wind between Norway and Belgium (Amir Nejad, LinkedIn 20 June 2024)
2024: A royal flare to Belgian-Norwegian Partnership collaboration
2024: A royal flare to Belgian-Norwegian Partnership collaboration
A royal flare to Belgian-Norwegian Partnership collaboration (Sustainable Blue Economic Partnership, LinkedIn 21 June 2024)
Permanent Magnets in Offshore Wind
Permanent Magnets in Offshore Wind
Amir. R. Nejad and Mihaela Ibrion. 2025."Permanent Magnets in Offshore Wind: State of the Art, Future Trends and Risk," 2025 21st International Conference on the European Energy Market (EEM), Lisbon, Portugal, 2025, pp. 1-6, doi: 10.1109/EEM64765.2025.11050118; Permanent Magnets in Offshore Wind: State of the Art, Future Trends and Risk | IEEE Conference Publication | IEEE Xplore
Rare Earth Elements
Rare Earth Elements
Mihaela Ibrion and Amir R. Nejad. 2025. "Rare Earth Elements: Trade-Off for Environment, Energy Security and Policies," 2025 21st International Conference on the European Energy Market (EEM), Lisbon, Portugal, 2025, pp. 1-7, doi: 10.1109/EEM64765.2025.11050308;
On the Energy Islands and Green Corridors
On the Energy Islands and Green Corridors
Ibrion, M., Nejad, A.R. (2025). 2025. On the Energy Islands and Green Corridors: Green Maritime and Critical Materials Challenges. In: Spyrou, K.J., Themelis, N. (eds) Innovations in Sustainable Maritime Technology—International Congress of the International Maritime Association of the Mediterranean (IMAM) 2025. Springer, Cham,
Rare earth metals and offshore wind
Rare earth metals and offshore wind
Mihaela Ibrion and Amir. R. Nejad . 2025. “Rare earth metals and offshore wind: on permanent magnets, policies and energy security," Wind Energy Science Conference 24-27 (WESC 2025), Nantes, France, 24-27 June 2025, Mini-Symposia theme 07, WESC 2025 Mini-Symposia Theme #07.pdf
On rare earth materials utilization in offshore wind turbine and green hydrogen
On rare earth materials utilization in offshore wind turbine and green hydrogen
Amir. R. Nejad, Mihaela Ibrion, Amir Ebrahimi, Fabian Kodalle, Markus Kloepzig, Klaus Schleicher, Paul R. Feja, Stijn Ally, Max Bruninx, and Jan Helsen. 2025. “On rare earth materials utilization in offshore wind turbine and green hydrogen”, Wind Energy Science Conference 24-27 (WESC 2025), Nantes, France, 24-27 June 2025, Mini-Symposia theme 07, WESC 2025 Mini-Symposia Theme #07.pdf - Box ECN;
Offshore green hydrogen production: state of the art and hazard analysis
Offshore green hydrogen production: state of the art and hazard analysis
Erik F. Maatje, Mihaela Ibrion and Amir. R. Nejad 2025. Offshore green hydrogen production: state of the art and hazard analysis, DeepWind 2025, Trondheim, Norway, poster, substructures_erik_maatje_offshore-green-hydrogen-production.pdf
Framework for designing an offshore green hydrogen production platform, Master thesis / academic monograph
Framework for designing an offshore green hydrogen production platform, Master thesis / academic monograph
Erik F. Maatje. 2025. Framework for designing an offshore green hydrogen production platform, Master thesis/academic monograph, NTNU Trondheim, Norway / University of Delft, Holland
Landscape of offshore energy hubs, critical raw materials and green hydrogen,
Landscape of offshore energy hubs, critical raw materials and green hydrogen,
Mihaela Ibrion and Amir. R. Nejad. 2025. Landscape of offshore energy hubs, critical raw materials and green hydrogen, 16th International Conference on Hydrogen Production and 16th International Exergy, Energy and Environment Symposium, 14-18 December, Craiova, Romania, 2025. Paper in book published by “ Institutul National de Cercetare-Dezvoltare si Incercari pentru Electrotehnica”, ICMET Craiova, editor Universitaria Craiova, Craiova, ISBN 978-606-14-2210-4, p.273-276
Day-ahead trading and power control for hybrid wind-hydrogen plants with multi-agent reinforcement learning
Day-ahead trading and power control for hybrid wind-hydrogen plants with multi-agent reinforcement learning
Stijn Ally, Timothy Verstraeten, Ann Nowé, Jan Helsen.2025. Day-ahead trading and power control for hybrid wind-hydrogen plants with multi-agent reinforcement learning, Applied Energy, Volume 401, Part A,2025,126588, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2025.126588. Day-ahead trading and power control for hybrid wind-hydrogen plants with multi-agent reinforcement learning – ScienceDirect
Optimal day-ahead trading and power control for a hybrid wind-hydrogen plant with multi-agent reinforcement learning
Optimal day-ahead trading and power control for a hybrid wind-hydrogen plant with multi-agent reinforcement learning
Stijn Ally, Timothy Verstraeten, Ann Nowé, Jan Helsen. 2025. Optimal day-ahead trading and power control for a hybrid wind-hydrogen plant with multi-agent reinforcement learning. Journal of Physics: conference series, vol 3025, Wind Europe 8-10 April 2025, Copenhagen, Denmark, 10.1088/1742-6596/3025/1/012022.
Green Policy Labs and workshops on REE reduction for wind-hydrogen in EU
Green Policy Labs and workshops on REE reduction for wind-hydrogen in EU
Green Policy Lab 1 / workshop - Mini-symposium WESC 2025, June 24-27 2025, Nantes, France: Wind turbine energy conversion system rare earth materials, design concepts and circular solutions
Green Policy Lab 1 / workshop, WESC 2025
Green Policy Lab 1 / workshop, WESC 2025
Green Policy Lab / workshop 2
Green Policy Lab / workshop 2
Green Policy Lab / workshop 2, organized/coordinated by NTNU, 23 Oct 2025, online event
