The European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) has commenced an 18 month project to advance its proposed deepwater and floating wind test facility – DeepWind.
Backed by 50% match funding through The Crown Estate’s Supply Chain Accelerator, the programme will build on EMEC’s earlier concept design for a national floating wind test site.
As UK offshore wind projects scale into deeper waters, developers require a representative environment to prove, refine and de-risk technologies before full commercial deployment. However existing test sites across Europe lack the necessary conditions for the offshore wind projects in the UK’s pipeline.
DeepWind deepwater test site for offshore wind,
To address this gap, EMEC has identified a site 20 km west of Orkney with ideal water-depths, seabed conditions and wind speeds.
The £500,000 project will complete feasibility, design scoping and industry engagement to confirm site infrastructure requirements, considering logistical and operational needs to ensure connectivity to ports and alignment with the UK offshore wind ecosystem. EMEC will also progress environmental scoping and early-stage survey work at the prospective site including bathymetry, sub?bottom profiling and ornithological/marine mammal monitoring.
By providing a pathway for deepwater and floating wind innovation, the DeepWind test site will help attract investment and strengthen the UK’s position as a global leader in offshore wind innovation.
Mark Hamilton, Operations & Technology Director, said:
“The Crown Estate’s Accelerator funding enables us to move decisively from concept to delivery planning for our deepwater wind test site. During the project, we aim to progress leasing and grid-connection applications, and will initiate some of the longest-lead environmental studies, moving us towards full consenting and Front-End Engineering Design.
“The key outcome will be a robust investment case for phased development of the test site. We will be running a series of engagement exercises over the coming months to gather insight from developers, OEMs, insurers, investors, regulators and community groups and I encourage interested parties to get in touch with us for more detail on how they can help shape the future of UK offshore wind testing.”
About EMEC:
EMEC is a not-for-profit innovation catalyst pioneering the transition to a clean energy future.
Established in Orkney in 2003, EMEC is the world’s leading centre for demonstrating wave and tidal energy converters in the sea, with more marine energy devices having been tested in Orkney, Scotland, than at any other single site.
EMEC is a plug-and-play facility supporting the development of offshore energy, green hydrogen and e-fuels, clean transport and island decarbonisation. EMEC helps technology developers to innovate and reach the market, reducing the time, cost and risk of R&D.
EMEC was set up to kick start a marine energy sector in the UK and boost economic development in the Highlands and Islands. The unprecedented activity that has taken place in Orkney due to the presence of EMEC has been a catalyst for economic development, creating jobs and a world-leading supply chain now exporting skills and knowledge around the globe. An economic impact assessment calculated EMEC added £370 million GVA to the UK economy between 2003 and 2023.
About EMEC’s national deepwater wind test site:
EMEC has been investigating and examining options for a national deepwater and floating wind test centre since early 2020 and has concluded concept design for site 20 km west of Orkney. With water depths of 80-100 meters, large waves and a mean windspeed of 10.7 m/s, the site will offer offshore wind developers representative metocean conditions to those in ScotWind, Celtic Seas and future leasing rounds.
The site has been designed specifically for deepwater and floating wind developers to de-risk their technologies, putting turbines, floating structures, moorings and other components to the test in an energetic offshore environment. This will enable performance to be refined on a wide range of technologies prior to commercial scale-up and build-out.
For more details: https://www.emec.org.uk/projects/floating-wind-projects/emec-floating-wind-test-and-demonstration-site/
See EMEC’s DeepWind brochure for more details: https://www.emec.org.uk/?wpfb_dl=404
About The Crown Estate Supply Chain Accelerator
The Crown Estate’s Supply Chain Accelerator provides early-stage development funding to catalyse UK capacity and capability for offshore wind, de?risk projects and bring them to investment readiness.
https://www.thecrownestate.co.uk/our-business/marine/supply-chain-accelerator-fund
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