TechWorks Marine, a marine data company, has begun a contract to expand the use of satellite data and products in the renewable wind energy sector in Europe.
The €475,000 contract is with the European Space Agency (ESA).
TechWorks Marine is leading a project to establish the information needs and best practices for the use of satellite earth observation products in the wind energy sector.
As one of Ireland’s leading innovators in earth observation products, TechWorks Marine will work to engage key stakeholders to build agreement on the way earth observation-derived information products can be used in the wind industry business processes.
The project, strategically important to both Ireland and Europe, will result in the development of a best practices guide for companies to identify suitable sites for new wind farms, to obtain a deeper scientific understanding of the site conditions, and to enable accurate environmental compliance and monitoring activities.
Operational services already available to companies in this sector include sea turbidity data from Europe’s Sentinel-2 and Sentinel-3 satellites, and offshore wind speed analysis from the Sentinel-1 satellite.
Charlotte O’Kelly, Managing Director of TechWorks Marine, said: “we have been working commercially in the renewables sector since 2009, and strategically in offshore wind since 2019 providing Metocean surveys to clients.
“We see a huge value in using satellite data to assist in both on and offshore site development, through the full life cycle of the wind park.”
Zoltan Bartalis, Earth Observation Applications Engineer at the European Space Agency, said: “At ESA we are interested in consolidating the usage of satellite-based Earth Observation information and creating best practices for wind energy applications.
“This promotes collaboration, knowledge sharing, standardisation, and innovation, ultimately leading to more effective and sustainable solutions for the industry.
“For this, it is indispensable to achieve a critical mass of users, and we are pleased to start this activity lead by TechWorks Marine, who have excellent ties to relevant industry and public sector stakeholders in Ireland and in the wider region.”
The timing of the project start coincides with Dublin hosting the Wind Europe Technology Workshop 2024 in early June.