Member News: EMEC: Offshore wind innovation call opens for applications

February 27, 2025
Member News: EMEC: Offshore wind innovation call opens for applications

Offshore wind innovation call searching for improved weather forecasting and vessels for safer turbine access

A new offshore wind innovation call is seeking the latest ideas in weather forecasting and improved designs for service operation vessels – with up to £300,000 available to successful applicants.

The call is the second in a series of innovation calls offered by the £1 million Offshore Wind Research and Innovation (R&I) Programme, run by EMEC and sponsored by the West of Orkney Windfarm.

The R&I Programme aims to find novel solutions which will help deliver offshore wind faster, cheaper and at lower risk.

By sponsoring innovative projects, the programme aims 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 robust project proposal, accessing alternative grant funding and access to EMEC’s world-leading test and demonstration sites.

The latest innovation call is looking for solutions to address the following challenges:

  • Weather forecasting solutions that will allow better weather-sensitive operational decisions to be made during surveys, construction and operations and maintenance.
  • Service operation vessel (SOV) design for turbine access, increasing safety of personnel transfer operations while maximising opportunities for turbine access in exposed environments with persistent periods of high windspeeds and sea states.

 

The innovation call will close at 1pm, Wednesday 9 April 2025.

Projects must provide a clear and justifiable benefit to the West of Orkney Windfarm and detail how they may also bring wider benefits across the offshore wind sector, supply chain, and Scottish and UK economy. Applicants must show that there is a clear innovative element within the proposal: the programme will not fund services that the wind farm can already procure from the market.

A webinar will be held on Thursday 13 March 2025 at 12 noon to give an overview of the programme, innovation call and what’s on offer to potential applicants.

Prospective applicants can register for the webinar here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_qSQluHeUTOCxDwbxl7CQ4Q

Full call details including eligibility, application process and timescales 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 said:

“The Programme aims to accelerate innovation by tackling key technical challenges in offshore wind development, while strengthening the supply chain and delivering lasting economic benefits to Scotland.

“Our first innovation call is supporting three pioneering projects that will enhance offshore wind operations through advanced metocean intelligence, real-time wave prediction, and high-frequency radar for more accurate weather data.

“We’re excited to launch this second call in partnership 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 the at West of Orkney Windfarm said:

“Once our windfarm is built, it will remain operational for decades ahead so it is vital that we explore ways to access turbines as safely and effectively as possible.

“Understanding the weather will be key, and this call looks specifically at how we can utilise increasingly accurate weather forecasting to inform operational decision making, with safety the number one consideration.

“On the same theme, improving the design of service vessels opens up the potential for simpler and safer access for workers, with a solution that can be made available for wider benefit across the offshore wind industry.”

A further series of innovation calls will address different challenge areas identified by the West of Orkney Windfarm and other sponsors, spanning technology selection, installation logistics, operations and maintenance, sustainable solutions, offshore robotics, digital twins and other cross-cutting innovations.

 

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