Simulated Annealing Approach To Power Hub Semi-Submersible Platform Design

As global energy demand rises, the search for renewable and sustainable power sources has become a primary ob- jective for researchers and industry leaders. The goal is to develop resource-efficient and carbon-neutral technolo- gies that bridge the current energy landscape and a more sustainable future. In this context, offshore power hubs have emerged as a viable solution due to their robustness and potential for repurposing decommissioned petroleum production vessels. This study presents a mathematical model solved by a simulated annealing meta-heuristics to optimise the ge- ometry of a semi-submersible platform, enabling it to accommodate a gas turbine power plant on its main deck. Results demonstrate that the heuristic approach effectively handles this design’s complex and highly non-linear na- ture within an acceptable computation time and with feasi- ble optimal solutions. Additionally, findings suggest that repurposing a decommissioned platform, rather than an FPSO, significantly enhances power generation capacity due to its larger deck area and increased weight capacity.