ORE Catapult Opens Electrical Infrastructures Research Hub Call

The Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult is seeking to partner with a UK-based university to accelerate electrical infrastructure research and development activities relating to offshore renewable technologies.

The activities will combine academic and industry skills and resources to better respond to industry’s needs. The technology innovation and research centre is establishing its second Research Hub, this time in Electrical Infrastructures.

This follows the establishment of the Wind Blade Research Hub, set up in June 2017 in partnership with the University of Bristol.

The new Research Hub will attract a five-year investment of around GBP 700k from ORE Catapult and look to address a selection of key research topics and themes, including component reliability and availability; system and sub-system optimisation; and smart energy systems of the future (including energy storage solutions).

The aim of the Hub is to build a stronger complementary offering of academic research, innovation, demonstration and representative testing for the offshore renewables sector.

ORE Catapult is seeking submissions from universities interested in joining the Hub, which will help shape the Catapult’s current and future electrical infrastructures research and development plan.

“With the cost of offshore wind turbine technology tumbling, it is important to maximise these benefits by also considering the wider electrical infrastructure solution. How we convert, transmit and store energy from our offshore renewable assets in an effective and reliable manner is one of the biggest challenges that lie ahead,” Paul McKeever, ORE Catapult’s Head of Strategic Research, said.

“We know from our first research Hub launched this year that by pooling existing academic and industry skills and resources, we will be better positioned to respond to this challenge, driving forward key research and helping to leverage the vital public and private finance that will underpin the activity.”

The deadline for application submissions is Tuesday 20 February 2018.