Abstract
The Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult, as the UK’s flagship technology innovation and research centre for offshore renewables, delivers programmes and initiatives aimed at realising the potential for affordable renewable energy generation from the offshore marine environment. While focussing on cost reduction for today’s offshore wind sector, ORE Catapult has started to shape and support the emerging floating wind sector with the largest established Joint Industry Projects (JIPs) operating at both a UK and European level.
With the potential for floating wind to become a truly global market, capable of capturing and commercially exploiting previously inaccessible regions, future innovation programmes need to be focussed on technological uncertainties, with a targeted approach to cost reduction and commercialisation. ORE Catapult, in partnership with The Crown Estate are working to identify uncertainties in the sector and to identify the role for the UK in the floating wind sector.
This summary paper presents a technology update from the findings of research commissioned by ORE Catapult and The Crown Estate to build on previous research published in 2012. 1 The work has studied the interaction of Technical Development, Deployment Volume and Cost Competitiveness, with these considered as indicators of progress towards both the technological and commercial maturity of floating wind. Developed from research and analysis alongside engagement with key industry stakeholders, it is intended to make the completed report available later in the year.