Balancing Innovation and Risk in Offshore Modular Energy Solutions

Abstract Offshore modular energy infrastructures present an important opportunity to accelerate the energy transition. However, the integration of hybrid renewable technologies within floating platforms introduces technical, environmental, legal, financial, and socio-political risks. This paper develops and applies an extended Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) framework incorporating a recoverability index to prioritize and assess 82 identi;ied risks organized in 12 categories. The results show that 36% of these risks are of very high priority based on risk priority number - RPN scores, with failure in underwater cable installation, grid connectivity disruption, and marine ecosystem degradation ranked among the most severe (RPN ≥ 378). A majority of the assessed risks (69.5%) are moderate to high recoverability, indicating that resilience measures can be effective when integrated early in system design. Technical risks dominate the risk landscape (36 risks), followed by ecological (17), legal (14), and financial risks (9). The proposed framework supports structured risk prioritization for engineering design, stakeholder engagement, and regulatory compliance. By aligning with the goals of the European Green Deal, the EU Taxonomy for Sustainable Activities, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 7, 13, and 14), this approach supports both scienti;ic and practical governance of modular energy solutions. The findings offer a replicable methodology for assessing and mitigating risks in offshore energy systems and contribute to the design of resilient, sustainable, but also policy-aligned modular infrastructures.