The European Marine Energy Centre has started an 18-month project to advance its proposed DeepWind test site for deepwater and floating offshore wind. Supported by 50% matched funding through The Crown Estate’s Supply Chain Accelerator, the programme builds on EMEC’s earlier concept design for a national floating wind test facility.
As UK offshore wind projects move into deeper waters, developers need sites that replicate operational conditions to test, refine and de-risk technologies before commercial deployment. Existing test sites in Europe do not offer the metocean conditions required for the UK’s upcoming projects.
EMEC has identified a site 20 km west of Orkney with suitable water depths, seabed conditions and wind speeds. The £500,000 project will complete feasibility studies, design scoping and industry engagement to define site infrastructure, logistics and port connectivity requirements. Environmental scoping and early surveys will also be carried out, including bathymetry, sub-bottom profiling and monitoring of birds and marine mammals.
The DeepWind facility aims to support innovation in deepwater and floating wind, attracting investment and reinforcing the UK’s position as a global leader in offshore wind technology.
