A novel interactive online guide created to aid the acceleration of commercial floating offshore wind development has today been published by the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult.
The Guide to a Floating Offshore Wind Farm is an online interactive guide on the fundamentals of floating offshore wind technology.
Funded by the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult’s Floating Offshore Wind Centre of Excellence (FOW CoE), The Crown Estate, and Crown Estate Scotland, and delivered in collaboration with BVG Associates, the guide contains a visual illustration of the full lifecycle of a floating offshore wind farm. It also brings to life the latest advances powering the development of this exciting technology.
The guide seeks to help companies and stakeholders develop a greater understanding of the components and processes involved in the development of floating offshore wind farms. This, in turn can support supply chain development and highlight how the UK can seize opportunities from the growing global offshore wind sector, expected to be worth an estimated £30 billion per annum by 2030.
Although in the early stages of its development, floating offshore wind technology is set grow significantly, with 6 – 10 GW of capacity expected to be operational by the end of 2030.
Ralph Torr, Head of Floating Wind at ORE Catapult, said: “This guide will be hugely beneficial to anyone looking to learn more about floating offshore wind, from those just beginning their journey in renewable energy, to experienced offshore wind professionals. The purpose of the Floating Offshore Wind Centre of Excellence is to accelerate the build out of a successful floating wind industry in the UK and this will certainly help those operating at the beginning of this commercialisation.”
Ben Miller, Development Manager at Crown Estate Scotland, said: “Floating wind technology is set to play a crucial role in the UK’s energy transition, allowing turbines to be sited in previously inaccessible areas of the sea. A number of ScotWind’s 20 projects are floating wind so this new guide will be a welcome resource in helping to explain what is still an emerging technology. Floating wind lies at the heart of Scotland’s efforts to tackle the climate emergency and secure the UK’s energy supply and this guide can help ensure that huge potential is understood by all.”
Tim Scriven, Sector Lead for Floating Wind at The Crown Estate, said: “Floating offshore wind is an exciting new technology which is shaping up to be the next frontier in the UK’s transition to a more sustainable future. People will understandably have questions about what this means for them; so whether it’s maximising the commercial opportunities of a new supply chain or understanding any impacts on local communities, guides such as this have an important role to play in developing a shared understanding of floating offshore wind and how to engage with its development.”
Bruce Valpy, Managing Director of BVG Associates, added: “Floating offshore wind will play a key role in the global expansion of offshore wind over the next decade. BVG Associates has always sought to make a difference though providing clear, accessible, relevant information for all those looking to understand the technology, supply chain and economics of offshore wind and we hope this floating guide, both a document and interactive website, continues with that mission.”
The guide builds on the success of the 2019 launch of Guide to an Offshore Wind Farm (Guide to an Offshore Wind Farm – ORE (catapult.org.uk) for fixed offshore wind, and comes just days before the industry gathers at RenewableUK’s Global Offshore Wind 2023 conference in London.
Ends
Notes to Editors
• The full guide can be easily accessed here: Guide to a floating offshore wind farm | An informative resource for floating offshore wind (guidetofloatingoffshorewind.com/)
About the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult
ORE Catapult was established in 2013 by the UK Government and is part of a network of Catapults set up by Innovate UK in high growth industries. It is the UK’s leading innovation centre for offshore renewable energy.
Independent and trusted, with a unique combination of world-leading test and demonstration facilities and engineering and research expertise, ORE Catapult convenes the sector and delivers applied research, accelerating technology development, reducing risk and cost and enhancing UK-wide economic growth.
Active throughout the UK, ORE Catapult has operations in Glasgow, Blyth, Levenmouth, Aberdeen, the Humber, the East of England, the South West and Wales, and operates a collaborative research partnership in China.
ore.catapult.org.uk/
About BVG Associates
BVG Associates provides strategy consulting in the wind industry, globally. We combine deep wind industry knowledge with approaches from the world of business consulting. We help our clients succeed in a sustainable global electricity system founded on renewables.
BVG Associates was formed in 2006 and plays a key role globalising offshore wind:
• We have a client base including customers of all sizes active wherever the wind industry is active.
• We have published many landmark reports on the future of the industry, cost of energy and supply chain.
BVGA was named Advisory of the Year in the Wind Investment Awards 2022.
bvgassociates.com/
For more information contact:
John Lang, ORE Catapult Head of Communications, 07563 393881.
Distribution
• If you want to receive all of ORE Catapult’s news releases, please email info@ore.catapult.org.uk. You can also use this address if you want to be removed from our list.