Shell Joins Offshore Wind Accelerator

Shell Global Solutions International BV has officially joined the Offshore Wind Accelerator (OWA), the Carbon Trust’s collaborative RD&D programme.

The OWA is a joint initiative set up by the Carbon Trust in 2008, which is dedicated to reducing the cost of energy from offshore wind.

The OWA is structured around five research areas: Access Systems; Cable Installation, Electrical Systems; Wake Effects and Wind Resource; and Foundations.

Shell will now join the roster of existing partners that includes EnBW, E.ON, Equinor, innogy SE, Ørsted, ScottishPower Renewables/Iberdrola, SSE Renewables and Vattenfall Wind Power.

“The Carbon Trust’s Offshore Wind Accelerator is a good example of the collaboration required between public and private sectors. The research and development programme will be key to delivering technical, commercial and financial innovations for large scale and sustainable offshore wind opportunities in the future,” Dorine Bosman, VP Wind Development, Shell, said.

A recent example of a project led by the OWA is Fistuca’s BLUE Hammer demonstration project, which reduces noise during construction as well as delivering a reduction in cost.

The core programme is part funded by the Scottish Government with the remaining funding coming from industry partners.

Jan Matthiesen, Director, Carbon Trust, said: “It is great news for the programme to have yet another strong and ambitious partner on board. It demonstrates that the collaborative approach to RD&D in offshore wind is valued by the industry.”

Last year, Shell announced plans to invest up to USD 1 billion a year in its New Energies division by the end of the decade. The Dutch oil and gas major has also called on the government of the Netherlands to increase its 2030 offshore wind target to 20GW.