Offshore Wind Innovation Hub site logo site logo

Open Owih Menu
Navigate site main menu
  • What We Do
  • Innovation Roadmaps
    • Electrical Infrastructure
    • Floating Wind
    • O&M and Windfarm Lifecycle
    • Substructures
    • Turbines
  • Success Stories
  • Publications
  • Contact Us
Search site
Site Skip Links
  • Skip to content
Coordinating UK offshore wind innovation

Coordinating UK offshore wind innovation

The Offshore Wind Innovation Hub’s roadmaps are advanced prioritisation tools that identify the innovation needs of the offshore wind sector. They have been built in collaboration with industry and academia and identify the key challenges and priorities for offshore wind.

Scroll to main content

OWIH in collaboration with industry and academia has built technology roadmaps – a register of industry challenges and ways to solve them. As a map, they contain information of where the sector is now, the destination and a network of paths that offer different ways of getting there. It creates a holistic view of the sector’s technology priorities as it tracks progress of distinct areas of innovation within each roadmap (Innovation Areas) and individual projects that support these Innovation Areas.

Each Innovation Area gives an answer on when and how this innovation would decrease costs, deliver benefits for UK and what type of organisation is going to deliver it. Scoring elements helps to maximise impact of Government spend thanks to allocating funds to projects agreed within the sector to be the most important and providing support to areas that need public intervention.

Innovation Areas have been divided into five segments: Electrical Infrastructure, Floating Wind, O&M and Windfarm Lifecycle, Substructures, Turbines.

Next section

Turbines

Floating Wind

Electrical Infrastructure

O&M and Windfarm Lifecycle

Sub-structures

What do the Innovation Roadmaps do?

  • Provide government and industry with a single, validated source of information on the key challenges and innovation priorities within the UK offshore wind sector.
  • Identify to innovators and the supply chain where there are potential market opportunities within the UK offshore wind sector.
  • Provide funders and potential applicants with an evidence base for demonstrating the areas of the UK offshore wind sector that have a demand for innovation.

How are they populated?

The roadmaps build on previous innovation prioritisation work undertaken in the sector, such as the Cost Reduction Monitoring Framework. Based on this foundation, the Hub created a series of roadmaps which were tested with industry and academia through the Hub’s Technical Advisory Group.

How often are they updated?

The roadmaps will be updated at least every six months to ensure they continue to accurately reflect the needs of the UK offshore wind sector.

Explaining the Roadmaps

Each of the segments contains information divided into categories and subcategories. Categories in the table are coloured in white and can be expanded or collapsed using “+” and “-“ buttons or by clicking “Expand all fields” at the top of the column.

 

There are two types of entry in each roadmap:

  • Innovation Area – A suggestion of innovation route for a technological, market or regulatory challenge. This type of entry is coloured in the table in grey.

  • Ongoing R&D project – An existing project that aims to answer a challenge in offshore wind industry. In order to appear on the list, it had to be publicly announced and be of significant value. This type of entry is coloured in the table in light blue.

All roadmap information is accessible online and can be browsed in two ways: online by clicking on individual Innovation Areas; or by downloading spreadsheet using Download the roadmap data button located to the right of the table with data.

Each Innovation Area is described and scored in detail as per below. Please note that categories and subcategories are indicative only and do not include further details.

Forecast start and finish
Now
2025
2040

When the significant progress in this area of innovation is expected to start and finish

 

Start and Target TRL

19

 

Technology Readiness Level at the start and end of innovation area at timescales provided above. Read more about TRLs.


Enabler
Target organisation likely to take a lead on this innovation area delivery

  • Academia
  • Catapult
  • Industry/SMEs
  • RTOs

 


Beneficiary
Part of the supply chain that would benefit from a solution in this innovation area

  • Original Equipment Manufacturers
  • Owner Operators
  • Other Suppliers

 

Requires implementation offshore
This innovation area requires implementation as part of an offshore project. It includes innovations that are part of the project itself (even if they are physically located onshore) but not those associated with a supply chain or standardisation.

Strategic Outcome: One of 3 general strategic outcomes this innovation area can contribute to:

Enabling disruptive innovation
Commercialising >15MW turbine platforms
Maximising operational performance of existing wind farms

 

 

UK Benefit
LowMediumHigh
How well placed is the UK to play a role in the development and maturing of the specific innovation area and benefit from the outcomes

 

 

Potential to Reduce LCoE
LowMediumHigh
Within the context of this specific roadmap what contribution could the specific innovation area make to reducing Levelised Cost of Energy

 

 

Case for Intervention
LowMediumHigh
What is the probability that industry would not take this innovation area forward without additional support. This can include necessity for third party coordination, testing facilities, investment risk. Support can come in multiple forms e.g. financial, legal, technical or coordination..

 

 

Health, safety & environmental impact
LowMediumHigh
What contribution could the specific innovation area make to reduce health & safety risk and/or environmental impact

Turbines

Developing the next generation of offshore wind turbines, incorporating all the technology that forms the structural and operational elements of the wind turbine generator.

Turbines

Substructures

Innovations in fixed-bottom wind turbine foundations and substructures, including transition pieces.

Substructures

Floating Wind

Innovations and processes required to enable cost competitive, commercial-scale floating offshore wind projects; many of which are situated in far from shore locations.

Floating Wind

Electrical Infrastructure

Moving to next generation electrical infrastructure including array cabling, power transmission, grid integration (storage & smart energy systems) and substations, both onshore & offshore.

Electrical Infrastructure

O&M and Windfarm Lifecycle

Optimising and future-proofing all services associated with offshore wind, including site development, installation, wind farm O&M, condition monitoring, and decommissioning.

O&M and Windfarm Lifecycle
Hub Innovation Partners

The Offshore Wind Innovation Hub is the UK’s primary coordinator for innovation, focusing on offshore wind energy cost reduction and maximising UK economic impact. The Hub is Funded by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and delivered jointly by the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult and the Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN).

Offshore Wind Innovation Hub
ORE Catapult
Inovo
121 George Street
Glasgow
G1 1RD
info@offshorewindinnovationhub.com
Telephone: 0333 004 1400

innovate uk catapult
©2023 Offshore Wind Innovation Hub
Navigate site footer menu
  • Cookie Policy
Scroll to top