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A new offshore wind innovation initiative is seeking the latest ideas in climate prediction and enhanced designs for service operation vessels – with up to £300,000 available for successful applicants.
This announcement is the second in a series of innovation calls funded by the £1 million Offshore Wind Research and Innovation (R&I) Programme, managed by EMEC and backed by the West of Orkney Windfarm.
The R&I Programme aims to identify innovative solutions that can expedite offshore wind deployment more efficiently, cost-effectively, and with reduced risk.
By funding cutting-edge projects, the programme strives to assist the supply chain in introducing new solutions to the market, enhancing operational capacity, and expanding activities.
Successful candidates may also receive support in developing a strong project proposal, accessing additional grant funding, and gaining access to EMEC’s world-class testing and demonstration facilities.
The latest innovation call is looking for solutions to tackle the following challenges:
- Climate prediction solutions that will enable improved weather-sensitive operational decisions to be made during surveys, construction, operations, and maintenance.
- Service operation vessel (SOV) design for turbine access, enhancing the safety of personnel transfer operations while maximizing opportunities for turbine access in exposed environments with frequent periods of high wind speeds and sea states.
The innovation call will close at 1pm, Wednesday 9 April 2025.
Projects must demonstrate a clear and viable benefit to the West of Orkney Windfarm and outline how they could also provide broader advantages within the offshore wind sector, the supply chain, and the Scottish and UK economy. Applicants must show that there is an evident innovative component within the proposal: the programme will not finance services that the wind farm can already acquire from the market.
A webinar will be conducted on Thursday 13 March 2025 at 12 noon to outline the programme, the innovation call, and what’s available to prospective applicants.
Prospective applicants can sign up for the webinar here.
Further details including eligibility, application process, and timelines can be found on the Offshore Wind R&I Programme website: www.offshoreinnovation.scot
Abbie Sinclair, project manager for the R&I Programme at EMEC stated:
“The Programme aims to accelerate innovation by addressing critical technical challenges in offshore wind development, while strengthening the supply chain and providing lasting economic benefits to Scotland.
“Our first innovation call is supporting three groundbreaking projects that will enhance offshore wind operations through advanced metocean intelligence, real-time wave forecasting, and high-frequency radar for more accurate weather data.
“We’re thrilled to launch this second call in collaboration with West of Orkney Windfarm, helping to identify solutions that will improve turbine access and decision-making in one of the most challenging offshore environments.”
Stuart McAuley, Project Director at West of Orkney Windfarm remarked:
“Once our windfarm is operational, it will remain functional for decades to come, so it is vital that we discover methods to access generators as safely and effectively as possible.
“Understanding the weather is crucial, and this call particularly focuses on how we can leverage increasingly accurate weather forecasting to inform operational decision-making, with safety as the utmost priority.
“On a similar note, enhancing the design of service vessels creates opportunities for easier and safer access for personnel, with a solution that can be made available for broader benefit across the offshore wind industry.”
A subsequent series of innovation calls will address different challenge areas identified by the West of Orkney Windfarm and other sponsors, covering technology selection, installation logistics, operations and maintenance, sustainable solutions, offshore robotics, digital twins, and other cross-cutting innovations.
