Scholarly record

WAVE CLIMATE VARIABILITY AND OPERATIONAL CONDITIONS OF OFFSHORE PLATFORMS IN EUROPEAN SEAS

Alecsa Cristina

Abstract

Climate change is a major challenge for offshore energy infrastructure, as it alters environmental conditions and increases operational risks. This paper analyzes the vulnerability of offshore platforms to climate-related factors, with a focus on wave climate variability and operational conditions in European seas, distinguishing between fixed platforms, floating installations, Arctic facilities affected by permafrost degradation, and coastal terminals exposed to sea level rise. The study is based on a systematic review of peer-reviewed journals using Web of Science and Scopus databases. Studies were selected based on relevance to offshore structural safety, climate impacts on marine infrastructure, and wave climate analysis in European maritime regions. The main risks identified include increased structural loads, fatigue accumulation, permafrost degradation, and sea level rise. Probabilistic methods and metocean risk assessment are essential tools for evaluating structural reliability under climate uncertainty. Integrated adaptation strategies based on structural monitoring, multi-criteria optimization, and floating wind farm technologies are proposed to enhance platform resilience and long-term sustainability.

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