£1 million Orkney offshore wind innovation programme opens

A £1m research and innovation (R&I) programme is searching for novel solutions to help deliver offshore wind faster, cheaper and at lower risk. The first in a series of innovation calls has opened for applications, with up to £300,000 available to projects. The Offshore Wind R&I Programme, delivered by the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC), based in Orkney, and sponsored by the West of Orkney Windfarm, is exploring ways to overcome specific technical challenges in offshore wind and to embed the economic benefits in the north of Scotland. A series of innovation calls will address different challenge areas facing the West of Orkney Windfarm, spanning metocean, installation, logistics, operations and maintenance. Last year, the West of Orkney Windfarm secured the rights to an area of seabed from Crown Estate Scotland to develop an offshore wind farm 30km west of the Orkney Mainland and25 km north of the Sutherland coast. The R&I Programme will sponsor projects to help the supply chain bring new solutions to market, build operational capacity and scale up activities. Successful applicants may also get support with developing a project proposal, accessing alternative grant funding and access to EMEC’s test and demonstration sites. The first innovation call is now open and is looking for solutions that address at least one of the following challenges: • Understanding metocean conditions at and en route to the West of Orkney Windfarm site, to inform decision making on installation and operation activities. • Design for short weather window installations to maximise opportunities for efficient installation. The innovation call will close on 12 February. Projects must provide a clear and justifiable benefit to the wind farm and how they may also bring wider benefits across the offshore wind sector, supply chain and economy in the region. Heather Turnbull, offshore wind R&I programme project manager at EMEC, said: “Working with the West of Orkney Windfarm, we’re aiming to accelerate innovation in the north of Scotland, reducing the time, cost and risk of offshore wind roll out, while enhancing supply chain capacity in the region. “The innovation calls have been designed to support companies explore ways to overcome the technical challenges facing offshore wind developments, giving them the tools needed to help build out offshore wind projects throughout Scotland, the UK and further afield. “We’re also looking to bring in additional industry sponsors to broaden the remit of the programme to other offshore wind developments across the region.” Mike Hay, deputy project director at the West of Orkney Windfarm, said: “We’re really excited to be supporting this EMEC initiative to help deliver the West of Orkney Windfarm safer, faster and at lower cost. “Although focussed on the West of Orkney Windfarm, we expect the outputs of this programme to have much wider implications on the delivery of offshore wind projects in challenging marine environments.” Don’t miss the latest headlines with our twice-daily newsletter – sign up here for free .