The news of the offshore wind Sector Deal has been welcomed by the industry. The deal aims to deliver at least 30% of all electricity in the UK by offshore wind sources by 2030, an ambitious target that we hope will be met. Not only that, but the deal will also deliver £48 billion of investment in the UK’s offshore wind infrastructure and will create 27,000 jobs, up substantially from the 7,200 jobs in existence today.
At the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult, we are championing the new technologies that can help us achieve the ambitious goal of minimising the time people have to spend offshore, which will enhance both safety and reduce the operating costs for offshore wind farms. We believe that data and digitalisation is a key way to help achieve this, and represents huge opportunities the offshore wind sector.
The emergence of Big Data, and the opportunities that can arise from harnessing and utilising it in real-time, has the power to escalate this digital transformation in the sector. Technology provides endless opportunities for innovation in the offshore wind and other renewable energy sectors, especially in the operations and maintenance (O&M) of offshore wind farms.
O&M represents around a quarter of a wind farm’s lifetime cost, which is a significant amount, and my team here at ORE Catapult aims to provide organisations with the knowledge and innovation they require to remain profitable, and drive costs down.
However, taking advantage of the opportunities presented by data and digitalisation has been met with some reluctance. We commissioned a Digital Innovation Priorities Survey, which highlighted the biggest challenges currently facing the offshore renewable s sector, one of which is the reluctance shown by organisations to share data with each other.
Carried out among key stakeholders in the sector, the survey revealed that more needs to be done when it comes to adopting and sharing new data and digital technologies. A staggering 94% of respondents said there is a gap between how the industry is currently operating and how it should be operating when it comes to extracting the full value from data and digital technologies.
However, it’s not just the turbine data accessibility that is seen as a bottleneck. A sizeable 31% of respondents also admitted to having a low or very low understanding of data and its potential for the sector. This is where we can come in.
One of the ways in which ORE Catapult supports small businesses in the renewable s sector is through our Platform for Operational Data (POD) service. Access to real-world operational data is one of the main barriers for the developers of innovative digital services in the renewable s sector, but the Catapult’s POD service enables organisations to access data collected by ORE Catapult’s 7 MW offshore Levenmouth Demonstration Turbine on the Fife coast. Companies are also able to test their own technology on the demonstration turbine, and ORE Catapult has a number of case studies which show how clients have benefited from the POD service and access to the Levenmouth Turbine.
ORE Catapult is the UK’s leading technology innovation and research centre for offshore renewable energy and by utilising our unique facilities and expertise, we are able to work closely with equipment manufacturers, developers and owner/operators to improve existing and develop next-generation renewable energy technology in the UK.
About Dr Conaill Soraghan
Conaill is the Data & Digitalisation Team Leader at ORE Catapult. He is passionate about supporting the renewable s industry realise a successful digital transformation and extract the full potential from digital technology, data and information.
His track record includes technical lead for the world’s first offshore wind bench marking platform and the management and development of a team of data specialists and engineers.
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