EU Offers EUR 10 Million for New Offshore Wind O&M Solutions

The European Commission has issued a call for project proposals for new solutions in the operation and maintenance of offshore wind turbines/farms, and has set aside EUR 10 million to fund the winner(s). 

The call was launched on 11 May, as part of the Horizon 2020 programme, with the period for submission of proposals set to expire on 8 September.

“The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU of between EUR 7 to 10 million would allow this specific challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts,” the EC stated.

New O&M solutions will focus on reducing component failure and increasing reliability of both offshore wind turbines and wind farms, as well as on developing measures for lifetime extension.

New and operating offshore wind farms should benefit from the output of the project through an improved performance, which would ultimately have a positive effect on the cost of energy, according to the EC.

“Participation of wind turbine manufacturers and large wind farm operators is expected,” the EC said. “Opening the project’s test sites, pilot and demonstration facilities, or research infrastructures for practice oriented education, training or knowledge exchange is encouraged.”

Along with the call for O&M innovation in offshore wind, the EC also called for project proposals aimed at scaling up the ocean energy sector to arrays, for which EUR 15 million has been made available.