Offshore wind

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Offshore wind

We work at the forefront of the global offshore wind industry, collaborating with governments, developers and innovators to make fixed and floating offshore wind a viable commercial energy generation solution.

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We have 15 years of experience working at the forefront of the global offshore wind industry, collaborating with developers, governments, and innovators to accelerate the development and deployment of offshore wind globally.

Our work unlocks markets and drives growth

We  collaborate with developers, governments, and innovators to scale up and industrialise offshore wind across the globe. We do this through three key propositions:  

  1. Strategic advice and consultancy services  
  2. Joint Industry Programmes  (JIPs) 
  3. Large-scale research and development projects               
     

1.  Strategic advice and consultancy services         

Offshore wind will hold the key to energy security and a cost-effective Net Zero transition for many countries. When harnessed effectively, offshore wind attracts investments and generates new jobs. Our strategic advice team collaborates with governments, developers and industry stakeholders to access and expand the economic and social opportunities presented by offshore wind, across three main offerings:

Research and insightStrategic adviceNew collaborative initiatives
Intelligence to inform market entry and developmentSet up optimal and sustainable market conditionsConvene stakeholders to unlock barriers and scale
  • Market insights
  • Policy, technology, strategy and innovation reviews
  • Energy systems and future energy analysis
  • Environmental, social & economic analysis
  • LCOE modelling for innovation
  • Infrastructure and logistical reviews
  • Innovation needs assessment
  • Innovation and incubation support
  • Technology guidance
  • Policy design and recommendations
  • Infrastructure, supply chain and sustainability
  • Skills and workforce and development
  • Site selection, auction and subsidy support 
  • Scenario planning and analysis
  • Grid and system integration
  • Programme design and set-up
  • Programme management
  • Innovation challenges
  • Stakeholder mapping and engagement
  • Capacity building and knowledge management

Focus industries: fixed and floating offshore wind, offshore energy integration, maritime decarbonisation and marine energy.

We have worked across the following countries: Bangladesh, Belgium, Caribbean, China, Colombia, Denmark, Germany, India, Ireland, Japan, Philippines, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, The Netherlands, UK, USA, and Vietnam.

 

 

A market-specific collaborative initiative:

National Offshore Wind Research and Development Consortium (NOWRDC) is a US-focused, independent, not for profit organisation led by key offshore wind stakeholders and set up with support from the Carbon Trust. It is dedicated to managing industry-focused research and development with the objective to reduce the levelised cost of electricity of offshore wind. In tandem it aims to minimise risk of offshore wind development projects in the US. 

Our current role includes Vice Chair of NOWRDC, Chair of the R&D Committee, and technical adviser on a variety of programme elements. 

Examples of our work:

Designing an effective offshore wind market: Six policy pillars for success | The Carbon Trust

Skills development recommendations for the Japanese offshore wind market | The Carbon Trust   
 

2. Joint industry programmes and collaboration initiatives

We are globally leading experts in delivering large scale RD&D and collaboration programmes, with a track record of delivering real cost reductions.

Market-agnostic initiatives bringing together the offshore wind industry to accelerate the development and deployment of offshore wind globally.

Offshore Wind Accelerator (OWA)

The OWA is our flagship collaborative RD&D programme. Set up in 2008, the programme aims to reduce the cost of offshore wind, overcome market barriers, develop industry best practice and trigger the development of new industry standards. The current phase involves participation and funding from nine international energy companies: EnBW, Equinor, Ørsted, RWE Renewables, ScottishPower Renewables, Shell, SSE Renewables, Total Energies, and Vattenfall.

OWA

Floating Wind Joint Industry Programme (Floating Wind JIP)

The Floating Wind JIP is a world-leading collaborative R&D initiative between the Carbon Trust and 17 leading international offshore wind developers. Among them are bp, EDF Renouvables, EnBW, Equinor, Kyuden Mirai Energy, Ørsted, Ocean Winds, Parkwind, RWE Renewables, ScottishPower Renewables, Shell, Skyborn Renewables, SSE Renewables, TEPCO, Tohoku Electric Power Company, Total Energies and Vattenfall. The programme seek to overcome the challenges and investigate the opportunities of developing commercial-scale floating wind farms.

Floating Wind JIP

The Offshore Renewables JIP (ORJIP)

ORJIP is a collaborative initiative established in 2012. Through research, it seeks to reduce the consenting and environmental risk of existing and future offshore wind farms. ORJIP is funded by 12 industry partners including the Crown Estate, Crown Estate Scotland, Marine Scotland and nine offshore wind farm developers EDF, EDPR, Equinor, Ørsted, RWE, Shell and SSE Renewables.

ORJIP

Offshore Wind Sustainability JIP (Sustainability JIP)

Phase 1 of the Sustainability JIP will develop the first industry-backed methodology and guidance to measure and address the carbon emissions associated with offshore wind farms throughout their life cycle.

The programme aims to accelerate the carbon reduction efforts across the offshore wind industry. Funded by 12 global developers – bp, EnBW, Equinor, Fred Olsen Seawind, Parkwind, Ørsted, SSE, Shell, SPR, RWE, Total Energies and Vattenfall — who collectively represent around a quarter of the global installed capacity.

Sustainability JIP

The Integrator

The Integrator is a joint-industry initiative led by offshore wind farm developers. With a mission to maximise the contribution of offshore wind to a low cost, flexible, predictable and low carbon future, the Integrator is a collaboration between the Carbon Trust, EnBW, ScottishPower Renewables, Shell, SSE Renewables, TotalEnergies and Vattenfall.

The Integrator   
 

3. Large-scale research and development projects

We manage a series of collaborative large-scale R&D projects aside of the work streams of our offshore wind programmes. These project look to address specific industry challenges and often leverage public funding, alongside the participant’s contributions, to deliver on a concrete target in a precise timescale. The project consortia vary from project to project and can include members of our core offshore wind programmes as well as external partners.

Large-scale R&D projects

 

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