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The Offshore Wind Research and Innovation (R&I) Programme is a new initiative run by the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC), sponsored by West of Orkney Windfarm
We’re looking to bring in additional industry sponsors to broaden the remit of the programme to other offshore wind developments across the region.
EMEC has been at the forefront of marine renewable energy innovation for over 20 years, demonstrating a range of technologies from wave and tidal energy to green hydrogen and subsea data centres. Building upon its core strengths in technical research programme delivery, EMEC has partnered with West of Orkney Windfarm to accelerate innovation and support delivery of offshore wind around Scotland and further afield.
To inform the development of the R&I programme, EMEC reviewed the offshore wind research and innovation (R&I) landscape, mapping this against the needs of the West of Orkney Windfarm project and supply chain capabilities across the region.
“EMEC and Orkney have become synonymous with pathfinder projects leading the way in renewable energy production. This partnership programme enables us to draw on EMEC’s considerable expertise and will ensure that local experience and data feeds into the project, building upon the cluster of business and academia that are active in the north of Scotland. Importantly, it will also inform how the West of Orkney Windfarm can be delivered faster, cheaper and at lower risk.
"At the same time, the programme will leverage EMEC’s network and experience to deliver local content and actively promote economic growth. We hope that EMEC’s unique status will enable the partners to identify new opportunities and attract additional funding, amplifying the investment from the West of Orkney Windfarm and its partners.”
Mike Hay, General Manager of the West of Orkney Windfarm
The West of Orkney Windfarm is being developed 30 km off the west coast of Orkney and 25 km from the north Sutherland coast. With an expected capacity of around 2 GW, and first power scheduled for 2029, the project will be capable of powering the equivalent of more than two million homes.
The West of Orkney Windfarm vision is to develop a world leading offshore wind farm which will support deep decarbonisation across the Scottish economy, while maximising socio-economic benefits to the Scottish supply chain and the communities in which they operate. It has committed to a £105 million investment initiative that will be enhanced to £140 million by third parties to support the offshore wind supply chain locally, in Scotland and across the UK. This investment initiative will be delivered ahead of any final decision to start construction of the project and it will be entirely focused on the West of Orkney Windfarm project.
The project is being led by specialist offshore wind business Corio Generation, global multi-energy company TotalEnergies, and Scottish offshore wind developer RIDG. Together the partners bring a unique combination of financial, technical and project delivery capabilities.
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A £1 million research and innovation (R&I) programme is searching for novel solutions to help deliver offshore wind faster, cheaper and at lower risk.
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