COFS Lands Grant for Offshore Wind Foundation Design

The Centre for Offshore Foundation Systems (COFS) at the University of Western Australia has received Federal Government funding for a research project focused on offshore wind foundations.

The AUD 395,000 (approximately EUR 251,700) grant will be used by UWA’s Associate Professor Britta Bienen and the Lloyd’s Register Group for developing a design guideline for an innovative foundation concept for offshore wind turbines.

According to the university, the technology is increasingly being considered for new developments by the offshore wind industry. The project is expected to address gaps in current knowledge and result in a positive impact on the industry through the development of a more reliable and economic design.

“The funding will further assist us in training young talent in offshore engineering and place UWA firmly on the map as a global player in offshore wind research,” Bienen said.

The grant is one of the two that UWA secured under the Australian Research Council’s (ARC) Linkage Projects and Future Fellowships Schemes, with the other focusing on oil and gas research.

More than AUD 6 million of ARC funding was announced over the period of four years for an additional eight UWA research projects under the Future Fellowships scheme, dedicated to supporting innovative research in areas of critical national importance.