Efficient Offshore Wind Programme

Why is it unique?Technical collaboration between leading members

of the value chain at such an early stage is unusual,

it has happened through the EOWP with thanks in

part to the award of research and development

grant funding from the UK Department for Business,

Innovation and Skills. By collaborating with their

combined experience and expertise, the consortium

will be better equipped to make more effective design

decisions. This will help to improve efficiency within

all areas of the value chain, from design development

to through-life operation, with the ultimate goal of

reducing the overall cost of energy

The Efficient Offshore Wind Programme

What is the Efficient Offshore Wind Programme?The Efficient Offshore Wind programme (EOWP)

is a collaborative research and development

programme led by Mitsubishi Power Systems

Europe with partners SSE, Technip Offshore

Wind and Wood Group Renewables. Research

and development activity under the programme

commenced in April 2010 and is expected to be

completed during 2015.

What will it deliver?The participants have come together to address the technology challenges facing the

offshore wind sector. The programme will make use of pioneering hydraulic drive technology

developed in the UK, to produce an innovative drive train system designed for application in

a high power offshore wind turbine, specifically in the Mitsubishi SeaAngel™ class of wind

turbine under development. Many elements of offshore wind farm design will be researched

from the perspective of reducing the cost of energy, including; capital cost, reliability,

availability, electrical generation and grid compliance, transport and installation, substructure

design and installation, operation and maintenance, and health and safety.

The programme will benefit from SSE’s wind farm

development experience; MPSE’s manufacturing

experience with a heritage in wind turbines, power

systems, aerospace, ship building and marine

structures. In Wood Group and Technip, their

collective offshore oil and gas experience shall be

applied to the challenges of offshore wind.

How will it benefit the UK?The programme will help the industry and Government

deliver the vision for offshore wind of competitively

priced renewable energy, and wider economic and environmental benefits such as green jobs and reduced carbon emissions.

It is hoped that the programme will help improve the viability of offshore wind, enhance

the position of the United Kingdom as a centre of excellence for offshore wind, as well

as aiding the development of the emerging UK supply chain.

What are the specific research areas?The Efficient Offshore Wind programme comprises a number of projects:

• Hydraulic Digital Displacement® drive train development

• Supply chain development and value chain risk mitigation

• Optimised substructure design

• Transport and installation, cable connection

• Operations and maintenance

Programme participants

Mitsubishi Power Systems Europe (MPSE): The daughter company of Mitsubishi Heavy

Industries Ltd (MHI), MPSE has been driving forward MHI’s power business in Europe, Middle

East, and Africa since 2007. The European offshore wind development team is based in offices

in London, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Hamburg. In November 2010, MPSE acquired Scotland based

Artemis Intelligent Power, Ltd. after recognising the huge potential of Digital Displacement®

technology.

CONTACT: Ellen Englefield TEL: 020 7647 0820 WEB: www.mhips.com/offshore-wind

SSE: SSE is the UK’s largest generator of renewable energy with over 3GW (gigawatts) of

renewable electricity generation capacity (offshore and onshore wind, hydro, and biomass) in

the UK and Ireland, and a portfolio of over 15GW of renewable energy projects in construction,

with consent or in development. SSE’s offshore wind interests include Greater Gabbard, Galloper,

Dogger Bank and Walney in England and Beatrice, Islay and the Firth of Forth in Scotland. SSE are

also developing an offshore wind test facility at Hunterston in Scotland which will include MPSE’s

SeaAngel™ prototype wind turbine.

TEL: 01738 456000 WEB: www.sse.com

Technip Offshore Wind: Technip, through its Technip Offshore Wind entity, offers specialist

offshore Project Management, Construction and Installation services to the renewable energy

offshore wind industry. The company capitalises upon its expertise in Offshore operations, Fleet

management, Project execution, Quality control and Safety management to tackle the challenges

and deliver projects for our clients within the Offshore renewables sector. Technip is also a partner

in the European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre (EOWDC), which is being developed and taken

forward in conjunction with Vattenfall and AREG.

CONTACT: Nicola Fry TEL: 01224 270505 WEB: www.technip.com

Wood Group Renewables: Wood Group is an international energy services company with $6bn

sales, employing more than 41,000 people worldwide and operating in 50 countries. Wood

Group Renewables has a long track record of delivering renewable energy projects on a global

basis and provides a wide range of capabilities covering all elements of a project life cycle to

ensure delivery of a fully integrated project. We have been involved in the assessment of

over 65,000 MW of renewable energy development for wind, wave, tidal and other sustainable

energy sources.

CONTACT: Carolyn Smith TEL: 01224 851 099 WEB: www.woodgroup.com

The Efficient Offshore Wind programme has been awarded grant funding for research and development by the UK Department

for Business, Innovation and Skills (www.bis.gov.uk). The grant is managed on behalf of BIS by the UK’s innovation agency, the

Technology Strategy Board (www.innovateuk.org).