Ocean Winds has launched four challenges, in cooperation with Innovate UK, to achieve high-fidelity wind resource measurements, improved subsea surveys and environmental advancements in offshore wind.
The challenges set by the EDP Renewables and Engie JV are within three core areas: energy assessment & metocean, environmental impact, and fixed foundations.
Applications from UK-based small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) should be submitted through the Innovate UK website.
Through this partnership, Ocean Winds seeks to promote innovation in the UK in support to its planned projects in the country, including the Caledonia offshore array, as well as its wider international portfolio.
Innovate UK’s Innovation Exchange programme is a cross-sector programme designed to accelerate innovation by matching industry-specific challenges with companies offering cutting-edge solutions from diverse sectors.
The challenges include measuring atmospheric stability through improved measurements of temperature, humidity and pressure in remote marine locations.
In the fixed foundations category, it is looking for advanced methods to perform a 3D ultra-high-resolution survey of offshore wind sites early in development.
The goal is to improve data quality and interpretation, which will help lower uncertainty, risk, and costs in the initial stages of the project, Ocean Winds said.
Two challenges were launched in the environmental area.
The first is focused on finding a technology platform which improves monitoring of underwater environmental receptors and species tracking and the second is to improve nature inclusivity in the design of floating wind farms to help promote biodiverse marine life on and around the wind farms.
Ocean Winds innovation & entrepreneurship director Daniel Santa Cruz said: “We are excited to join forces with Innovate UK and look forward to discovering innovative solutions that help Ocean Winds improve our approach to developing offshore wind farms to deliver clean energy.
“This initiative is part of how we execute our innovation strategy and at the same time unlocks new opportunities for the supply chain.”
Knowledge transfer manager – energy for Innovate UK Business Connect John Ransford added: “We are delighted to be working with Ocean Winds on their innovation projects for the offshore industry.
“Developing offshore wind farms to deliver clean energy is crucial to the future of our environment and energy requirements as a society and we are looking forward to working with Ocean Winds to help them deliver on their objectives.”