A 5G project that connects the Lynn and Inner Dowsing wind farm in the UK has gone live.
The 5G PORTAL (Ports and Offshore Renewable Technology Accelerator Lincolnshire) is covers the port of Grimsby and the Lynn and Inner Dowsing wind farm was officially switched on at Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult’s Operations and Maintenance Centre of Excellence.
The £2.8m project, funded by Innovate UK and the Greater Lincolnshire LEP, will accelerate development of a new generation of digital technologies essential to the expansion of offshore wind farms, required to meet the UK target to deploy 50GW of offshore wind by 2030.
The “living lab” will allow technology providers to develop, test and demonstrate their equipment in real world conditions, with access to reliable, high-speed communications, and aims to attract users from across the global offshore wind sector.
Minister for Energy Security and Net Zero, Graham Stuart, said: “The high-speed communications infrastructure will provide the perfect environment to test and develop the next generation of digital technologies – making our wind farms smarter, safer and greener.
“This will also level up the country by sustaining 200 skilled jobs, supporting more than 120 businesses and creating 20 new enterprises.”
The 5G PORTAL is delivered by a consortium led by ORE Catapult, bringing together the expertise of Microsoft, XceCo, Associated British Ports (ABP), Accelleran, JET Connectivity, Boldyn Networks and Satellite Applications Catapult.
Andrew Macdonald, Director of Offshore Wind Development and Operations at ORE Catapult, said: “It will provide a real-world test and demonstration zone for robotics, AI, remote sensors, wearable technology, zero emission vessels, smart ports – driving forward the digital evolution of our next generation wind farms.”
To create the 5G PORTAL, two 5G technology development and demonstration zones linked by a fibre network were created – one end at Grimsby Port and the other within the Lynn and Inner Dowsing wind farm.
Fifteen 5G radio transmitters are placed across five sites (including four wind turbines and a radio mast in the port), working in conjunction with a solar powered 5G buoy developed by JET Connectivity, together providing an extended private 5G network over a 45 sq km area.