The UK offshore wind industry has mapped a four-strand innovation path that will smooth the way to supplying 30GW of projects by 2030.
The Offshore Wind Innovation Hub outlined challenges that need to be tackled in turbines, substructures, electrics, and service and lifecycles.
The hub is being jointly delivered by the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult and Innovate UK’s Knowledge Transfer Network.
Four “innovation roadmaps” will “clearly set out the needs and priorities for the UK’s offshore wind industry to provide government and industry with clear guidance on the route to achieving the sector’s ambitious targets to supply one third of the country’s electricity from offshore wind by 2030”, said the partners.
Each will identify ways to reduce the levelised cost of energy for offshore wind. They will collectively “provide government and industry with a single, validated source of information on the key challenges and innovation priorities” while also “highlighting to innovators and the supply chain potential market opportunities”.
The roadmaps will also “demonstrate to funders and potential challenges applicants those technology areas that have a demand for innovation”.
ORE Catapult said: “Innovation is at the heart of developing a strong UK supply chain and capitalising on the global growth of the offshore wind sector. The technology challenge roadmaps published today by the OWIH clearly signpost where the industry should be focussing its innovation effort to continue to drive down costs and maximise on these opportunities.”
The roadmaps can be accessed here.
Image: reNEWS
UK offshore maps innovation path
By admin