Lessons Learned from Floating Infrastructure Projects
Jagmeet Khangura & Jason Haney
Global demand for energy, water, telecommunications, and other critical human infrastructure is increasing at an unprecedented rate. The ability to make life’s critical resources accessible to all is becoming increasingly difficult because of reduced land availability, resource scarcity, the threat of sea level rise, and the need for increased resiliency. Floating alternatives to traditional land-based infrastructure can be a novel solution for many of these issues – but floating alternatives also bring their own set of challenges. Black & Veatch is addressing this opportunity by innovating the design, construction, delivery, and operational support of floating infrastructure solutions. Black & Veatch is a world leader in the development of floating liquefied natural gas processing facilities and is continually identifying and developing other floating infrastructure solutions such as renewable energy, data centers, water treatment, battery energy storage systems, and large-scale floating housing. This paper presents lessons learned and practical case studies of floating infrastructure projects; it covers market drivers, technologies, unique advantages and disadvantages, economics, and future potential solutions.
KEYWORDS: Infrastructure, Data Center, Water Treatment, Battery Storage, Housing
Jagmeet Khangura is a Co-Founder of Innovative Floating Solutions at Black & Veatch, a Growth Accelerator innovation team whose goal is to develop the next generation of sustainable infrastructure to address the world’s most important needs in an affordable, sustainable, and resilient manner. Prior to working on this initiative, Jagmeet worked in the Power and Water industry for over 10 years. Her experience includes microgrids and renewable energy evaluations. She has evaluated renewable installations and microgrids at commercial buildings, industrial facilities, as well as the utility distribution system. She was active in many renewable energy projects, including resource assessments, feasibility studies, due diligence (technical and economic analysis) of specific technologies, optimization of solar plant design, and economic analyses of renewable energy projects. She has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemical Engineering from University of California Berkeley.
Jason Haney is a Co-Founder of Innovative Floating Solutions at Black & Veatch, a Growth Accelerator innovation team whose goal is to develop the next generation of sustainable infrastructure to address the world’s most important needs in an affordable, sustainable, and resilient manner. Jason started his professional career as an officer in the United States Navy, attaining the rank of Lieutenant Commander and deploying on a large-deck multipurpose amphibious assault ship. He then transitioned to a leadership position in public service for the Kansas state government where he managed operations and performance improvement initiatives. He currently is employed by Black & Veatch, an employee-owned engineering, procurement, consulting and construction company with a 100-year legacy of innovations in sustainable infrastructure. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Geography, a Master of Science degree in Administration, and is a Certified Public Manager.