The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) is set to invest up to £1.3 million into the new Offshore Wind Innovation Hub (OWIH) to provide a coordinated UK approach to offshore wind innovation and reduce the cost of energy from offshore wind.
Delivered by ORE Catapult and the Knowledge Transfer Network, the hub will help UK companies access funding to progress new technology solutions for the UK market and ensure technologies and services are promoted internationally. The hub’s first programme will be the Offshore Wind Innovation Exchange (OWIX).
Launched at the Rushlight Show Cleantech Conference by Nick Hurd, Minister of State for Climate Change and Industry, the cross-sector initiative aims to accelerate cost reduction in offshore wind by matching industry challenges with innovative solutions adapted from other areas of the economy.
Dr Stephen Wyatt, Director of Strategy & Commercialisation at ORE Catapult, said: “As announced this week, the Levelised Cost of Energy of offshore wind is now below the joint UK Government/industry target of £100 per megawatt hour by 2020, four years ahead of schedule. This is great news for the industry, and we must continue the momentum of driving down costs and facilitating UK market growth.”
Dr Nee-Joo Teh, Energy Systems Lead at the Knowledge Transfer Network, said: “With OWIX, we are working with offshore wind companies to learn about their greatest challenges. We believe that we can really help to make offshore wind energy more sustainable through a cross-sectoral platform targeting transferable, innovation solutions from other industries.”
An online platform, including a technology roadmap of UK offshore wind innovation priorities and a view of the funding landscape, will be launched soon.
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