12 November 2012
Peter Aldous MP for Waveney welcomes new €2 million European funded research programme, which has been launched to improve opportunities for an international network of companies and universities in relation to the installation, operation and maintenance of offshore wind turbines.
The EU has pledged to provide funds for the national innovation centre OrbisEnergy to be used for a new three-year project called ECOWindS. The project will gather knowledge of installation, operation and maintenance of offshore wind farms in the UK, Germany, Denmark and Norway with the aim of halving operation and maintenance costs.
The project involves OrbisEnergy collaborating with European partners about strengthening the bonds between research and the offshore sector. The project will pave the way for new research and knowledge of how costs related to installation, operation and maintenance of offshore wind turbines can be driven down, which will result in lower and competitive prices. The project also aims to strengthen and identify opportunities for many small and medium-size companies and support European competitiveness in the market for offshore wind turbines.
Mr Aldous points out that there are a number of challenges to overcome in order to ensure that offshore wind fulfills its true potential. For instance, there is potential for significant cost reduction, which also provides an opportunity to develop an area of competitiveness in a growing global industry.
Mr Aldous said:
“We know that offshore renewables is a key growth sector for the economy and we are committed to ensuring companies across East Anglia benefit from this huge opportunity.
“The ECOWindS project will provide our region, the UK and wider Europe with the knowledge and expertise the industry needs to help reduce overall costs and ensure we can build a sustainable industry for long term jobs.”
Johnathan Reynolds, OrbisEnergy’s lead for business development, explains:
“The East of England is at the centre of the world’s largest market for offshore wind deployment and the UK’s most dense area of offshore wind energy development.
“The wider North Sea region remains the global centre for development of offshore wind projects. The North Sea was where the first, large offshore wind projects took shape and where producers, suppliers and consultants have gathered their experiences.”
The EU has pledged to provide funds for the national innovation centre OrbisEnergy to be used for a new three-year project called ECOWindS. The project will gather knowledge of installation, operation and maintenance of offshore wind farms in the UK, Germany, Denmark and Norway with the aim of halving operation and maintenance costs.
The project involves OrbisEnergy collaborating with European partners about strengthening the bonds between research and the offshore sector. The project will pave the way for new research and knowledge of how costs related to installation, operation and maintenance of offshore wind turbines can be driven down, which will result in lower and competitive prices. The project also aims to strengthen and identify opportunities for many small and medium-size companies and support European competitiveness in the market for offshore wind turbines.
Mr Aldous points out that there are a number of challenges to overcome in order to ensure that offshore wind fulfills its true potential. For instance, there is potential for significant cost reduction, which also provides an opportunity to develop an area of competitiveness in a growing global industry.
Mr Aldous said:
“We know that offshore renewables is a key growth sector for the economy and we are committed to ensuring companies across East Anglia benefit from this huge opportunity.
“The ECOWindS project will provide our region, the UK and wider Europe with the knowledge and expertise the industry needs to help reduce overall costs and ensure we can build a sustainable industry for long term jobs.”
Johnathan Reynolds, OrbisEnergy’s lead for business development, explains:
“The East of England is at the centre of the world’s largest market for offshore wind deployment and the UK’s most dense area of offshore wind energy development.
“The wider North Sea region remains the global centre for development of offshore wind projects. The North Sea was where the first, large offshore wind projects took shape and where producers, suppliers and consultants have gathered their experiences.”
