£1.7M project to tackle hurdles in deployment of wave, tidal, and offshore wind installations

The University of Plymouth has launched the OcEn project, a £1.7 million (approximately $2.1 million) research initiative designed to overcome barriers in offshore renewable energy (ORE) expansion and bolster the sector’s readiness for deployment of offshore wind, wave, and tidal installations. 

With collaborators from 10 universities across the U.S., UK, Canada, and Australia, OcEn will focus on critical areas impacting the future deployment of offshore renewables.

According to the University of Plymouth, OcEn researchers will investigate how ORE can help mitigate climate change while examining if current manufacturing, construction, and logistics sectors are prepared to support an expanding ORE industry. 

OcEn’s engagement with ocean-reliant communities is also central to the project’s goals, aiming to address concerns around potential impacts on local economies, cultural sites, and the marine environment.

“There is a lot of talk globally about the development of ORE and the benefits it could potentially deliver. However, this project aims to look at some of the other factors that could emerge alongside the development of technologies and sites,” said Lars Johanning, Chair of Ocean Technology at the University of Plymouth and the OcEn Project Lead.

“Many of those could concern the public, as well as other interested parties such as the fishing and shipping industries and wildlife organisations. By talking to them now, we can generate better understanding about the ORE sector and any issues it might encounter as it develops, but also reassure people that their thoughts and concerns are being taken into consideration before the significant expansion of sites begins in earnest.”

Running from 2024 to 2028, the OcEn consortium will deliver research on four themes: Environmental Assessment and Regulation, Technology Readiness and Innovation, Energy Systems and Integration, and Community Impacts and Co-design. The University of Plymouth noted that this framework aims to deliver targeted research for policymakers, industry, and developers in guiding ORE expansion to support net zero objectives.

Through OcEn, up to 12 early-career researchers, including nine PhD students, will work with global ORE experts, building an interdisciplinary team poised to lead future efforts in energy systems, environmental studies, and community engagement, the University of Plymouth said. The consortium also plans an innovation training program, along with workshops, mini-conferences, and academic exchanges.

John Underhill, Aberdeen University’s Director for Energy Transition, added: “The initiative allows our Interdisciplinary Research Institute to build on and deepen our existing successful collaboration via the GeoNetZero Centre for Doctoral Training, which we lead and the University of Plymouth is part of. The new research award enables our Energy Transition researchers to work with others to face the challenges and opportunities that offshore renewable technologies present as we strive to decarbonise the energy sector and meet net zero targets.”

With Australia’s vast coastline, Queensland University of Technology anticipates benefits from ORE advancements. Robert Perrons, Professor of Technology Management and Strategy, stated: “Australia has over 34,000km of coastline, and most of the country’s people live not too far away from an ocean. It therefore follows that there is tremendous upside for Australia in improving ORE technologies, and it is our absolute pleasure to be a part of this exciting global partnership.”

Funded by the University of Plymouth’s International Collaboration Investment Fund, the OcEn project represents an international collaboration of institutions including the University of Plymouth, the University of Aberdeen, the University of Edinburgh, and the University of Southampton from the UK; Oregon State University, the University of Michigan, and the University of Washington from the USA; the University of Victoria in Canada; and the University of Western Australia and the Queensland University of Technology.

Just recently, a University of Plymouth-led consortium warned that the UK would need accelerated growth in tidal, wave, and offshore wind energy to achieve its 2050 Net Zero target, noting urgent action required in these sectors.

Also, scientists from the Marine Biological Association, the University of Plymouth, and the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) Shetland recently analyzed how Orbital Marine Power’s O2 turbine interacts with Orkney’s powerful currents, providing insights into the optimal placement of tidal stream turbines, and highlighting the need of site-specific assessments.

Research by ORE Catapult and Imperial College London (ICL) unveiled tidal energy’s potential, estimating that it could provide 11.5 GW to the UK grid, or 11% of UK electricity demand, and contribute up to £17 billion to the economy by 2050.