The UK government is today announcing 11 successful floating offshore wind projects that will receive more than £60m in public and private investment to develop new technologies.
Each project will be awarded up to £10m from the government as it puts forward £31.6m to boost the amount of renewable energy generated in the country.
In addition, industry will match the investment bringing the total to over £60m – driving green energy investment parts of the country including in Aberdeen, Swansea and Yorkshire.
The Floating Offshore Wind Demonstration Programme funding recipients include SenseWind, Geodis FF, Xodus Group and the ORE Catapult, which are granted £10m for a project combining a compact floating foundation with a novel anchoring system attaching it to the seabed and advanced monitoring technology that allows for maintenance to be planned and performed offshore, saving on costs of towing back to shore.
A 2MW or larger turbine will be demonstrated in UK waters.
Marine Power Systems are the recipients of £3,466,083 to develop a floating foundation with a small footprint and integrated wave energy generator to improve power quality.
JDR Cables and the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult will receive £1,606,711 for developing and testing electric cabling systems.
Buoyant Production Technologies and the University of Southampton will be given £238,724 to demonstrate that a patented design can be used for supporting substation equipment connecting floating wind farms to the energy grid.
AWC Technology in Aberdeen is to receive £760,874 to take forward development of an articulated wind turbine column designed to reduce construction, installation and maintenance costs.
Reflex Marine, the University of Exeter, Bridon Bekaert Ropes Group and Wood Thilsted Partners have secured £882,283 for development of a novel anchoring system that will secure floating turbine cables to the seabed at a fraction of the weight of some existing anchors.
London Marine Consultants and the University of Plymouth will receive £264,924 to bring to market a mooring system which will simplify the initial installation of floating turbines and enable simple disconnection when maintenance is required.
Copenhagen Offshore Partners, SSE Renewables, Maersk Supply Service Subsea and Bridon Bekaert Ropes Group will be handed £9,656,980 to develop and demonstrate new mooring system technologies, cable protection, floating turbine base design and an advanced digital monitoring system.
Richard Copeland, project director, said: “The Pentland Demo project is a great opportunity to demonstrate new technologies which will accelerate the cost reduction and industrialisation of floating offshore wind in the UK.
“With this funding we will deploy several innovative technologies developed here in the UK by local companies. This provides a fantastic opportunity for our supply chain partners to showcase their capabilities and scale-up towards our 100 MW Pentland Array project and for large commercial-scale deployment through ScotWind projects and other floating wind opportunities in the UK and globally.”
Cerulean Winds secured £825,692 for developing an integrated system between the mooring, floating foundation and wind turbine for deployment at an offshore oil and gas facility in the North Sea or West of Shetland.
Aker Solutions gets £690,454 for applying cable manufacturing techniques that simplify and cut the cost of offshore installation and developing a subsea substation design connecting floating wind farms to the energy grid.
Trivane, London Marine Consultants, Keynvormorlift and Ledwood are awarded £3,268,058 for developing a trimaran mounting system for wind turbines.
Energy Minister Greg Hands said: “These innovative projects will help us expand renewable energy further and faster across the UK and help to reduce our exposure volatile global gas prices.”
Supergen ORE Hub director Deborah Greaves said: “The new projects are well aligned with the Research Landscape of the Supergen ORE Hub and demonstrate the great benefit to the sector of academics and industry experts working closely together – utilising their combined knowledge and expertise – to advance the UK’s Net Zero Strategy.”
RenewableUK CEO Dan McGrail said investing in innovation is “vital” to build up a UK supply chain that can meet the needs of the domestic market and “seize the global opportunities” that floating wind offers.