South West could see floating wind turbines 'within years'
Floating offshore windfarms could soon be more common in the South West, following a multi-million pound investment
More than £60 million is being invested into offshore floating turbines, with the South West expected to help lead the way.
The Department for Business say 'The cash boost will further research and development in floating offshore wind with projects across the United Kingdom set to receive funding that will accelerate the deployment of turbines in seas around the UK'.
A spokesperson added: " Research will focus on areas such as how turbines are moored to the seabed, undersea cabling and developing foundation solutions."
"The UK is already home to the world’s largest deployment of offshore wind, however floating turbines, which can be deployed in deeper waters than conventional turbines, will boost energy capacity even further by allowing wind farms to be situated in new areas around the UK coastline where wind strengths are at their highest and most productive.
"With global gas prices at record highs, the UK is determined to strengthen energy security further by deploying home-grown renewable technologies to reduce our dependency on volatile fossil fuels."
In October 2020 we reported on how floating offshore windfarms could support 3,200 jobs in the South West and Wales and £682m of spend in the local supply chain by 2030, powering hundreds of thousands of homes.
It is believed the South West could get more 'floating turbines' as the average water depth in our region is above the 60 metre limit needed for traditional offshore windfarms.
The latest funding, half from Government, includes £882,283 to an Exeter University project for the 'development of a novel anchoring system that will secure floating turbine cables to the seabed at a fraction of the weight of some existing anchors'.
The University of Plymouth is getting £264,924 towards bringing to market 'a mooring system which will simplify the initial installation of floating turbines and enable simple disconnection when maintenance is required'.
Trivane Ltd in Newquay and also Keynvormorlift will get £3,268,058 for developing a 'trimaran mounting system for wind turbines'.
Energy Minister Greg Hands said: "We are already a world leader in offshore wind and floating technology is key to unlocking the full potential of the seas around Britain.
"These innovative projects will help us expand renewable energy further and faster across the UK and help to reduce our exposure volatile global gas prices."
Claire Gibson, Head of Delivery at the Heart of the South West LEP said: “We welcome the further funding announcement from Government, which will see additional investment into floating offshore wind technology.
"This is an exciting growth opportunity for the area, supported by our excellent maritime and engineering sectors, and is further recognition of the strong research capabilities we have in marine renewable energy within both the Universities of Exeter and Plymouth.
"By being actively engaged in floating wind, we will be able to leverage as much as possible for the economy and communities across the Heart of the South West."
There's more about the scheme here