£2m project to improve windfarm efficiency

The University of Hull has collaborated with ORE Catapult and Ørsted for a £2m project to improve the efficiency of wind farms. 

The project will involve working to improve wave forecast modelling in the hope that better monitoring of sea conditions will help to drive efficiency in the sector.

By improving the accuracy of sea state forecasting at an individual offshore wind turbine level, the researchers have said this will drive efficiency gains in operations and maintenance, increase safety, and will also contribute to further reductions in the Levelized Cost of Energy (LCoE) for offshore wind.

Technicians attempting to undertake maintenance can face a number of barriers to safe access, which in turn can be a factor in limiting turbine performance and overall energy output of a wind farm. By better understanding the sea conditions it can improve safety and accessibility for technicians.

Dr Rob Dorrell, project lead from the energy & environment institute at the University of Hull, said: ‘This project is tackling critical challenges in operations and maintenance at the interface of offshore wind and the hostile marine environment.

‘We are delighted to translate state-of-the-art artificial intelligence and remote monitoring systems to provide new solutions and methods to meet industrial challenges, enabling the drive towards enhanced cost-efficiency in offshore wind, thus furthering its viability as a clean energy solution.

‘My colleagues and I – Drs Evdokia Tapoglou and Rodney Forster – are very much enjoying working with our partners on this collaboration, adding value and impact to an industry challenge.’

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