ORE Catapult, NSRI Launch Renewables Innovation Challenges for Oil and Gas Companies

As announced last month, Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult and National Subsea Research Initiative (NSRI) have launched innovation challenges in an effort to help companies working in the oil and gas industry diversify into offshore renewables sector as the growing offshore renewables market is set to spend £210bn in the coming decade.

The new series of innovation challenges, launched in Aberdeen yesterday, have been set to the sector as it continues to come to terms with lower oil prices and weakening demand, the two organisations said, and are encouraging companies to diversify and take an early lead in the global renewables market.

ORE Catapult, in partnership with industry and academia, has identified challenges in the offshore wind and wave & tidal sectors, and further categorised these under ‘Knowledge Areas’ – areas ORE Catapult will focus on to drive technology innovation to lower the cost of offshore renewable energy.

The challenges in offshore wind include blades, electrical infrastructure, foundations, operations and maintenance, and powertrain innovation.

Andrew Tipping, Commercialisation Manager at ORE Catapult, said: “The aim of these challenges is two-fold, to bring down the overall cost of offshore renewable technology, and to drive growth for UK companies.

“Many of the challenges we’re presenting today are not unique to offshore renewables. Similar issues will be faced by oil and gas companies and related subsea sectors. We’ve teamed up with NSRI to highlight these opportunities and make sure that companies grasp them as quickly as possible and steal a march on our global competitors.

“The emergence of offshore renewables could be Britain’s new oil boom – the potential is absolutely huge.”