Marine-i has applauded the announcement of three new tender opportunities in the floating offshore wind energy sector.
Part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund, Marine-i was set up to promote marine innovation in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
The three new tenders have been announced by the Carbon Trust and are all designed to help improve technology in the floating wind energy sector. The Carbon Trust is inviting proposals from innovative marine companies to tackle three key development areas.
The first tender is to identify and evaluate innovative mooring systems and anchoring solutions. The second tender requires companies to investigate the drivers behind to-to-port maintenance strategies for floating wind farms, while the third tender is to assess the feasibility and required technology for heavy lift offshore operations at a floating wind farm.
The Carbon Trust believes that floating wind presents an opportunity to harness strong wind resource in deep water locations, unlocking new markets for offshore wind. However, a number of novel challenges will need to be addressed in order to deploy floating wind turbines at commercial scale. These projects will aim to assess these challenges and identify future innovation priorities for the sector.
Commenting on the move, Matt Hodson, Marine Hub operations director at Cornwall Development Company, said: “This is a superb opportunity for marine technology companies to get support in solving some of the key challenges facing the offshore floating wind energy sector. This is a vital industry for the future, and one where Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly can play a leading role. Congratulations to the Carbon Trust for this excellent initiative and we would urge local marine businesses to take advantage of this opportunity.”
Interested companies must apply by February 21 for all three tenders, full details of which can be found here.
