Monthly Newsletter from the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult

Latest News, Insight and Analysis

Hello and welcome to the April edition of Re-Energise Online!

I hope you are all staying safe and well and adapting to these new ways of working. ORE Catapult continues to do everything it can to support our sector – helping to keep wind farms operational and providing support to businesses, particularly SMEs. You can read about some of our key successes below.

We have resumed testing and validation activity at our National Renewable Energy Centre in Blyth after introducing measures to ensure staff safety during the ongoing COVID 19 pandemic. As a key part of the UK’s national infrastructure for clean energy, we are continuing our work, undertaking critical research, test and validation programmes that are fundamental to progressing major offshore renewable energy projects and growing essential UK supply chains. These will be vital to accelerate UK economic recovery as we exit the crisis and meet our decarbonisation targets. 

In other areas, our business and staff have adjusted well to working from home and we continue to deliver our transformative innovation and supply chain growth programmes, such as our National Launch Academy technology accelerator, by adapting them into online and virtual offerings. Our joint industry projects are continuing, and we are supporting the sector through initiatives such as our Wind Digital Innovations Forum, helping the industry tackle issues such as digitalisation and cybersecurity, and OPIN. This cross-sectoral collaborative network aims to accelerate the growth of the ocean energy sector.

In addition to our extensive online repository of industry knowledge, advice and guidance available via our website, we are facilitating discussions between O&M operators and the supply chain to support resource sharing and business continuity during this period, and we are keen to hear of any specific challenges that businesses are currently facing to see if we can help. 

Contact us at info@ore.catapult.org.uk or via your usual Catapult contact to discuss ways in which we can help and support you. 

Andrew Jamieson, CEO, ORE Catapult.

1. ACT Blade Sails to Success in the Offshore Wind Industry

2. Stepping Up Cybersecurity in Offshore Wind

3. One Small Step for BladeBUG, One Giant Leap for Offshore Wind

4. Digital Twin Solution to Transform Offshore Wind

ACT Blade Sails to Success in Offshore Wind Industry

Dr Sabrina Mapede, CEO at ACT Blade

Edinburgh-based ACT Blade, a spin-off company from UK yacht-sail developer SMAR Azure, has announced it has successfully completed the first of two tests of its novel lightweight blade for wind farms at our National Renewable Energy Centre in Blyth.

It has adapted its sail modelling technology into modular blades that are over 24% lighter than those in use today. This in turn will increase energy production by 9% and reduce the levelised cost of energy by 6.7%.

The test results showed that the blade could withstand extreme loads and every type of direction and twist, going beyond those predicted for an in-service turbine. Post-test inspections show it to have held its shape with no damage. These tests will pave the way for its first operational deployment later this year at the Myres Hill Wind Farm in Scotland.

Stepping Up Cybersecurity in Offshore Wind

Over the past decade, offshore wind production has grown exponentially and with this comes an increasing level of reliance placed on wind farms as critical infrastructure to keep the country running. As a result, offshore wind is becoming an attractive target for cyber-attacks and hackers.

Our Graduate Data Scientist Charlotte Wilkinson has produced a blog on the role of cybersecurity in the offshore wind sector and looks to address some increasingly important challenges within the industry.

Here at the Catapult, we are researching ways in which the offshore wind sector can better protect itself from such attacks. Our Wind Digital Innovations Forum is building on our extensive experience and existing portfolio of wind-related data initiatives, focusing on four key areas including cybersecurity.

One Small Step for BladeBUG, One Giant Leap for Offshore Wind

UK-based SME BladeBUG has successfully completed trials for its novel inspect-and-repair robot at our National Renewable Energy Centre. The robot was put through its paces as it walked on blade surfaces, proving the stability of its vacuum adhesion technology and its dexterity in adapting to the varying curves of the blades.

"The BladeBUG concept recognises that there is a safer, more cost-effective and efficient way of working. We can move our future jobs towards more data-driven, remote supervision onshore - expertise that will be in high demand in the future global economy." said Chris Hill, Operations Director at ORE Catapult.

With its capabilities now validated, BladeBUG will begin integration into another Innovate UK-funded project, MIMRee, that is developing fully autonomous inspection and repair missions to offshore wind farms. BladeBUG robots will be used to autonomously inspect, test and repair blade surfaces.

Digital Twin Solution to Transform Offshore Wind

Aberdeen-based James Fisher Asset Information Services (JF AIS) has joined forces with ORE Catapult to bring its digital twin technology solution to the offshore wind sector and revolutionise turbine inspection methods. JF AIS has taken lessons from the oil and gas industry to produce its 360-degree, information rich, virtual walk-throughs of offshore assets.  

Earlier this year, JF AIS successfully completed a pilot project of its R2S walk-through technology to recreate a data-rich digital twin of our Levenmouth Demonstration Turbine in Fife, Scotland. 

Lorna Bennet, Mechanical Engineer at ORE Catapult said that digitalising the turbine "has enabled remote inspection of the turbine, boosting the planning of operations and reducing the need to go offshore. It has also changed the ways individuals are working - generating significant time and financial savings."