Offshore Industry Backs Development of Floating Offshore Wind

These companies include: EDF Renewables, EDP Renewables, Equinor, ESB, Mainstream Renewable Power, ScottishPower Renewables, SSE Renewables, and Offshore Wind Power Ltd (OWPL), Total and Shell.

The Centre of Excellence will focus on all areas of floating wind activity in the UK. Four main activities have been eyed so far:

• technology development
• supply chain and operations
• development and consent
• delivering net zero.

The aim is to reduce the cost of energy from floating wind, accelerate the build-out of floating farms, create opportunities for the UK supply chain, as well as driving innovations in manufacturing, installation and operations and maintenance.

The Centre will work closely with stakeholders, governments and local authorities, and  academic institutions in the UK to deliver and coordinate a range of world-leading activities, including a portfolio of collaborative projects.

Chris Hill, ORE Catapult’s Operational Performance Director and Co-Chair of the FOWCoE’s Executive Governance Board commented: “Our team of innovation experts and engineers here at ORE Catapult are very much looking forward to working with our stakeholders, industrial and academic partners to accelerate floating offshore wind technology deployment. We’ll work together to de-risk and encourage innovation to ensure we deliver UK economic benefit from the global growth of floating offshore wind – growing local supply chains and delivering UK content and jobs as the economy emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic.”